Anyone who owns an electric car knows well how to manage the charging phases and the actions to be taken to connect their car to the infrastructures capable of filling up with energy. However, what may seem like a simple gesture for some may hide some difficulties for others. Such as motorists with disabilities, who have to deal with a process that is not always so linear. From this point of view, Ford has decided to simplify the life of EV users who have reduced mobility or are elderly, experimenting with a robotic charging system that can be operated directly via your smartphone when you are still in the passenger compartment.
After the first laboratory tests, Ford researchers have started testing the robotic charging station, in real contexts. Once activated, the station goes into operation and, at that point, with the help of a small camera, the charging arm extends towards the entrance to the vehicle socket. During testing, drivers were able to monitor the state of charge via the FordPass app. After charging, the arm retracts and returns to its initial position. The robotic charging station, created ad hoc by the University of Dortmund, in Germany, could in the future be installed in parking spaces for the disabled, in parking lots or in private homes. Other applications could include fast charging for company fleet vehicles. The technology could also support more powerful charging for faster charging.
In perspective, the process could become fully automatedwith little or no involvement of the driver who, at that point, should only send the vehicle to the charging station, with the infrastructure capable of ensuring that it is able to reach and return from its destination, in a completely autonomous mode .
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