SK Signet has entered the commercialisation stage for robot-based automatic charging technology for electric vehicles. A consortium led by SK Signet said on Tuesday it has completed the "Development and demonstration of a robot-based fast automatic charging system for electric vehicles" research project, carried out as a government task overseen by the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The technology implements an unmanned charging environment for self-driving vehicles by having a robot recognise a vehicle’s position and automatically connect the charging connector. The consortium included 10 organisations: SK Signet, the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, the Korea Smart Grid Association, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute, Korea University, Zeus, C-Mechs and GridWiz. Through long-term demonstrations of a 400 kW robot charging system, it verified commercial requirements including charging precision, compliance with international communications and payment standards, and user safety.

SK Signet developed a multi-control system in which a single robot sequentially charges multiple vehicles, and it also implemented a dedicated modem and Plug and Charge functions needed for automatic charging. It enhanced algorithms based on long-term demonstration data to improve the robot’s connector coupling accuracy. It supplemented the technology to maintain operating efficiency even in unpredictable external conditions such as extreme cold.

It refined the design so unmanned operation is possible even in a charging environment where self-driving vehicles and pedestrians are mixed. To do so, it verified an algorithm for predicting collision risks with pedestrians and vehicles, and conducted performance tests of collision detection devices under extreme environmental conditions. It also advanced a load control algorithm to distribute power in an environment where multiple vehicles are charged at the same time.

It also secured multiple certifications. It obtained outdoor application criteria by securing repeatability precision testing and IP54 water and dust resistance certification for a robot arm prototype. The robot-based fast charger and charging coupler obtained CB international mutual certification under international safety standard IEC 61851-23 and interface standard IEC 62196-3. In South Korea, it obtained KC certification and high-efficiency certification.

Hyoung-ki Cho (조형기), SK Signet CEO, said, "Through this consortium, we have raised the technical completeness of high-power and automated charging technology as a whole by one notch," adding, "We will continue to secure infrastructure competitiveness required in various mobility environments by advancing charging technology."