Hyundai Revealed The Charging Robot

Many people notice the transition of Hyundai Motor Group from a simple automaker to a part robotic company. Now Hyundai Motor Group shows the world the first rays of the robotic future. For example, the latest robot presented by the company looks quite futuristic. It is made in the form of a robotic arm and is designed to connect a charger to an electric vehicle.

The Automatic Charging Robot (ACR) is designed to automatically connect and charge electric vehicles. After showing computer animation of the design in 2022, Hyundai filmed a working prototype in action.

For the demonstration, Hyundai combined the ACR with a single handle and a FAST-CHARGING IONIQ 6. In the presentation, the driver uses the IONIQ 6 autonomous parking to reverse up to the charging compartment from the outside. The ACR then communicates with the car to open the charging port. ACR uses a camera to determine the exact location of the port and the angle at which it is located.

The robotic arm connects the charger to the port and starts charging. Even a pedestrian warning is provided that he is going to run right into the cable. After charging is complete, ACR independently removes the charger and closes the charging port on the car.

To make sure that the ACR is capable of operating in real outdoor conditions, the laboratory built a special outdoor charging station in its research center, and then tested and improved it to work in various conditions. Hyundai claims that the ACR is waterproof and dustproof according to the IP65 standard and is capable of operating in "extreme conditions". A safety pole with a built-in laser sensor detects stationary and moving obstacles to prevent accidents, as shown in the pedestrian warning in the video.