New robot ACR charges electric cars fully automatically
The parent company behind Hyundai, Kia, Genesis and Boston Dynamics has presented the robot ACR (Automatic Charging Robot), which is supposed to charge cars fully automatically. He was already shown via video last summer been, but now followed a clip that does without an artificial 3D world.
Hyundai recently showed a 3D animation of the ACR, now followed by a real-world demo. (Graphic: Hyundai)
It shows an Ioniq 6 electric car parked in a bay by remote control. The cars have a remote parking assistant that parks using the key remote control. Hyundai writes in the press release: “As soon as the vehicle is stationary, the ACR communicates with the vehicle to open the charging port.”
Cameras and sensors help to correctly insert the charging connector. ACR can charge any electric car with a standard connector. The robot then pulls the plug again, withdraws its arm and reports to the driver via smartphone.
Dong Jin Hyun, head of the group’s Robotics Lab, says in the press release: “The ACR will help make EV charging easier and more convenient, especially in dark environments. It will also improve accessibility, especially for people with mobility impairments, as charging cables continue to get thicker and heavier to allow for fast charging.”
In the future, Hyundai is therefore anticipating a charging infrastructure that will be increasingly difficult to operate manually.
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The charging station can work not only in covered charging parks, but also outdoors. In addition, its creators have achieved water and dust tightness according to the IP65 standard. In addition, their performance has been “significantly improved” so that it works stably even in “extreme environments”.
A safety bar with embedded environmental sensors should also ensure increased safety. It recognizes stationary as well as moving obstacles and stops the robotic arm if necessary.
Hyundai is showing the real robot from March 31 to April 9 at the Seoul Mobility Show.
