Dutch startup Rocsys has secured €200,000 (£170,000) from investment fund Uniq to help develop a soft robotic arm and computer vision technology to enable fully automated charging of electric vehicles (EVs).
The investment was announced at the opening of Rocosys’ public test facility in Delft, the Netherlands.
Computer vision technology leads the plug to the socket of the EV. The system then scans the vehicle by using soft robotics. The plug is then plugged in definitively.
According to Rocosys, this should speed up plugging and unplugging and make it safer to use high voltages when charging commercial vehicles.
The system can also absorb shocks, such as when a person enters or exits a car. In addition, the system can see and feel when a person holds their hand against the plug.
In this instance the soft robot arm will stop its movement, which means the system is safe for users.
The functionality of the automatic loading solution has reportedly already been proven in a controlled lab environment.
The Uniq investment will be used for the next stage of development, which involves testing and optimising the automatic charging technology at the Green Village in Delft.
