Johannesburg – Ford has developed a prototype robot charging station that a driver can operate from their cellphone, while never leaving their electric car.
“The technology could enable disabled drivers to stay in the car while charging, or they could leave the car while the robot does all the work,” Ford said.
“For most of us, filling a car with fuel or charging an electric vehicle is a simple task. But for disabled drivers, people with reduced mobility and older people it can be a significant challenge.”
Ford said that ease of charging has been identified as a key purchase consideration for electric vehicles for disabled drivers.
As part of a research project to develop hands-free charging solutions for electric vehicles and fully automatic charging for the autonomous vehicles, Ford is conducting trials of the robot charging station.
Researchers from the company are putting the charging station to test in real-life situations, after initial lab testing.
“Once activated, the station cover slides open and the charging arm extends towards the inlet with the help of a tiny camera. For the trial, drivers were able to monitor the charge status via the FordPass app,” the company said.
“After charging, the arm retracts back into place.”
The robot charging station, custom-made by Dortmund University, in Germany, could in future be installed at disabled parking spaces, in car parks or at private homes.
Charging could in future become fully automated, with minimal or no driver involvement, with the driver simply sending the vehicle to the charging station.
IOL Tech