Robotic charging system and method
The present disclosure relates to a robotic charging system that provides a charge as a service for charging electric vehicles. The robotic charging system can be deployed and managed by a cloud solution in response to user requests to charge a vehicle. The robotic charging system can be autonomous such that it receives a target location and navigates to the target location autonomously. A cloud solution can track, manage, monitor, and deploy robotic charging systems in response to requests submitted by a mobile application.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a battery or other power source;
a plug configured to couple to an electric vehicle for charging the electric vehicle;
a motor configured to drive a plurality of wheels of the apparatus;
a global positioning system configured to determine a current location associated with the apparatus;
a sensor configured to generate sensor data indicating a distance between an object and the apparatus;
a processor configured to:
receive a target location via a wireless network;
construct a map of an area surrounding the apparatus comprising terrain information;
generate a path to the target location based on the map;
generate and transmit control signals to the motor to navigate the apparatus to the target location based on the sensor data and the current location; and
in response to charging the electric vehicle, transmit a charge status to a computing system via the communication module; and
a light emitting component configured to shine infrared light on an area surrounding the apparatus,
wherein the sensor comprises an infrared cut-off filter,
wherein the sensor data is generated based in part on infrared light detected by the sensor, and
wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a low level of ambient light is present in the area surrounding the apparatus;
in response to the determined low level of ambient light, activate the light emitting component to cause the light emitting component to emit infrared light; and
in response to the determined low level of ambient light, cause the sensor to activate the infrared cut-off filter.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a camera configured to receive image data; and
wherein the processor is further configured to classify the image data, and
wherein the control signals are further based on the classified image data.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage device configured to store predefined image data; and
a display configured to display the predefined image data.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the predefined image data is advertising content.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wheels comprise a continuous track.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cable reel to house at least a portion of a cable, wherein an end of the cable is coupled to the plug.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plug is configured to couple to an inductive charging platform, the inductive charging platform being configured to inductively couple to the electric vehicle.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a port configured to couple to a second apparatus in a daisy chain configuration.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the plug is configured to automatically decouple from the electric vehicle in response to charging being complete, and
a cable attached to the plug is configured to automatically recoil after the plug is decoupled.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the target location is generated at a client device, and
the computing system is configured to receive the target location from the client device.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an image sensor, wherein the image sensor generates image data, and wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a charging port location of the electric vehicle based on the image data, wherein a charging port of the electric vehicle is located at the charging port location; and
generate and transmit control signals to couple the plug to the charging port based on the identified charging port location.
12. A method comprising:
receiving, by a mobile charging apparatus, a target location from a computing system via a wireless network;
receiving, by the mobile charging apparatus, a current location from a location module;
determining, by a processor comprising a sensor comprising an infrared cut-off filter, if a low level of ambient light is present in an area surrounding the apparatus;
activating a light emitting component to cause the light emitting component to emit infrared light in response to the determined low level of ambient light;
causing the sensor to activate the infrared cut-off filter in response to the determined low level of ambient light;
generating, by the mobile charging apparatus, sensor data, based in part on infrared light detected by the sensor, indicating a proximity between an object and the mobile charging apparatus;
constructing a map of an area surrounding the apparatus comprising terrain information;
generating a path to the target location based on the map;
generating, by the mobile charging apparatus, control signals based on the current location and sensor data, wherein the control signals navigate the mobile charging apparatus towards the target location;
coupling a plug of the mobile charging apparatus to an electric vehicle to charge the electric vehicle;
determining, by the mobile charging apparatus, a charge status of the electric vehicle; and
transmitting, by the mobile charging apparatus, the charge status to a client device via the wireless network.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sensor data comprises image data, the method further comprising:
classifying the image data by a computer vision module of the mobile charging apparatus,
wherein the control signals are further based on the classified image data.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing, by the mobile charging apparatus, predefined image data; and
displaying, by the mobile charging apparatus, the predefined image data.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the predefined image data is advertising content.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the mobile charging apparatus comprises a plurality of wheels and a continuous track configured to cause the mobile charging apparatus to move.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising a cable reel to house at least a portion of a cable, wherein an end of the cable is coupled to the plug.
18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
coupling the plug to an inductive charging platform, the inductive charging platform configured to inductively couple to the electric vehicle.
19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
coupling the mobile charging apparatus to a second mobile charging apparatus in a daisy chain configuration.
20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
automatically decoupling from the electric vehicle in response to charging being complete; and
automatically recoiling a cable coupled to the plug after the plug is decoupled.
21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the target location is generated at a client device that communicates the target location to the computing system.