Doosan Robotics and LG Electronics have collaborated to create an automated charger for electric vehicles, operated by a robot. The system, currently undergoing pilot operation at LG’s research and development complex in Seoul, consists of a kiosk for vehicle recognition and payment processing, and an automatic main charger.
Upon entering the designated charging area, an electric vehicle is recognized by a camera, which then transmits vehicle-related information to the charging system. After driver authentication, an AI-based 3D camera mounted on the robot locates the charging port and connects the charging cable, initiating the charging process. Once charging is complete, the robot retracts the cable, returns it to its original position, and completes the payment process.
To ensure safety and precision during charging, high-performance torque sensors are installed on the robot’s six joints. Following the pilot operation, Doosan Robotics and LG Electronics are exploring the joint development of other automatic charging solutions.
“This automatic charging solution demands high levels of sensitivity, precision, and safety,” stated Ryu Jung-hoon, CEO of Doosan Robotics. “We are committed to keeping pace with the rapidly expanding electric vehicle charging market.”
Doosan and LG Electronics are among several companies developing charging robots. Rocsys, a specialist in robotic charging solutions, recently announced two new partners. Such solutions are particularly promising for autonomous vehicles, especially in the commercial sector.
A key distinction between the LG-Doosan and Rocsys solutions is that while Rocsys integrates the charging cable into the robot arm permanently, requiring it to remain connected to the vehicle during charging, LG and Doosan have opted for a different approach. Their system uses a gripper to hold the charging cable handle, allowing it to release the cable during charging. This theoretically enables the robot to connect other vehicles with additional charging cables simultaneously.
