Automating EV Rechargers

­Building out the EV infrastructure is more than just a massive network of charging stations, and Rocsys is reminding us of that with an autonomous recharge solution.

Rocsys has introduced a robotic arm — with AI-powered computer vision technology — that can add autonomous functionality to any EV charger.

As Rocsys explains, their vision solution obtains pertinent info with a single camera, providing the robot with the knowledge to navigate the plug towards the socket. 

Something called “deep-learning-algorithm-based vision” apparently identifies vehicle inlet orientation even in tough weather, with artificial intelligence providing continuous performance optimization.

And this will almost assuredly make life a bit easier for the human drivers/occupants. But the real boon is for fully autonomous vehicles that might not feature humans at all.

Crijn Bouman, co-founder and CEO, notes that “Why should a self-driving car need a human babysitter to charge?”

Whether that self-driving car is transporting a human or not — and right now, most “autonomous” vehicles at least need a human to monitor it — an autonomous charging solution makes the whole recharging process easier and more efficient.

Or as Rocsys puts it, autonomous chargers can mitigate the “risk of operator errors, ensure regulatory compliance and vehicle uptime, and minimize damage and human exposure to high-voltage equipment.”