Flexiv’s Rizon Robot Takes the Wheel on EV Charging, Hands-Free

Electric vehicles have transformed the way people travel, yet plugging in the charger remains a chore that all EV owners must endure on a regular basis. Flexiv, a robotics business based in Shenzhen, has developed a solution to this problem. They designed a rolling robot that does all of the work for you, including locating your car in a parking lot, getting the charging cable, and plugging it in.

This is all due to a collaboration with Hycan, a business that specializes in designing power supply equipment for automobiles. The goal is to make charging stations faster and more efficient without relying on humans to do the work. In terms of practicality, it’s especially useful in congested garages and outdoor parking lots where cables become tangled or the charging connection becomes trapped in a difficult-to-access place. This is when the robot comes in to assist speed things up.

The Rizon, a compact self-driving mobile platform about the size of a large suitcase on wheels, serves as the foundation for this robot. It moves at a steady pace, avoiding automobiles and people with sensors that map the environment as it goes. On top of this, there is an adaptable arm with seven points of movement. This allows it to reach high locations and bend down to low places, much like a human arm. A 3D camera rests on top, acting as the robot’s “eyes.” It scans the environment to identify the brand / model of your vehicle, and it can even locate the charging port even when light is playing tricks on it or the angle is difficult. Once the arm is latched onto the car, it stretches to collect the cable from a nearby dispenser before gently guiding the plug into place using sensors that can detect resistance and adjust as needed.

The robot is powered by software that blends artificial intelligence and machine vision, so precision is everything. This means it can recognize over 95% of electric vehicles on the road today, from modest sedans to large SUVs. If the port is at an unusual location or the car is larger than ordinary, it is not a problem. The technology determines the optimal path and performs it to the millimeter, avoiding scratches on the paint and bending the connectors. It has dual safety approvals from CE and ETL, indicating that it meets the rules for any public location and even includes built-in brakes in case it encounters something unexpected. Charging begins seconds after the connection is made, and the robot withdraws to await the next car, leaving the owner free to go get a coffee or return indoors.

When you utilize this parking system in the real world, the efficiency gains begin to show. Traditional charging systems limit you to one charger per parking space, resulting in vacant charging stations and a slew of vehicles driving about in circles, hoping for a spot to open up. Flexiv’s robot charger is unique in that it can serve several parking bays from a central charging hub, reducing the amount of gear required and expenses. Plus, because it’s not run by humans you don’t have to worry about cables getting damaged because some guy decided to yank on them a bit too hard. From the driver’s standpoint, things become much more dependable; no more fumbling around in the rain or after dark, trying to remember to unplug before leaving, for example. Hycan’s early tests in controlled conditions revealed that the robot could complete a full cycle (identify, connect, disconnect) in less than 2 minutes, even when confronted with a curveball such as jumbled cables or partially hidden ports.

However, it is also the type of technology that can be integrated into existing parking infrastructure without requiring complete demolition and rebuilding. The robot base can be integrated with any existing floor markings or wireless beacons for navigation, and the arm can be detached for maintenance if necessary. Flexiv developers worked on ensuring that the robot handled cables gently, like a human would, by adopting compliance modes that give slightly when under pressure rather than just forcing their way in. If there’s a lighting problem or a little obstruction in the path, supplementary cameras can cross-check views and ensure that the plug is properly seated every time. In one demonstration, the robot navigated a dimly lit garage, identifying a mid-size crossover and flawlessly fitting the connector into place despite the car being parked slightly off center.