Motorists have had to refuel their cars themselves since self-service was introduced at petrol stations decades ago. While the payment process has been made more convenient by having cashless facilities at the pump but the process of inserting the nozzle is still unchanged. Even with so much automation in the world, a human still has to do it.
For owners of electric vehicles (EVs), this process may be done by a robot in future, making it unnecessary for them to handle any equipment. It will improve safety and convenience, and be useful if the charger is in a spot where it is exposed when rain falls.
The Hyundai Motor Group has developed such a robot which can communicates with the vehicle, automatically open the charging port and plug in the cable. Referred to as an Automatic Charging Robot (ACR), it is still under development but a working prototype has been shown to the public following a CGI version revealed in July last year.
Toyota has revealed its third generation humanoid robot that it calls the T-HR3. The project is part of the automaker’s future mobility programme, which has brought to fruition many innovative and bizarre creations. This particular one was designed and developed by Toyota’s Partner Robot Division.
It will help the company explore new technologies for safely managing physical interactions between robots and their surroundings as well a remote movement system that allows for the robot to mimic the movement of its human operator.
Similar in purpose to Honda’s Asimo, the T-HR3 will help Toyota explore how advanced technologies can help to meet people’s unique mobility needs. It is an evolution of previous generation instrument-playing humanoid robots, which were created to study and develop precise joint movements.
“The Partner Robot team members are committed to using the technology in T-HR3 to develop friendly and helpful robots that coexist with humans and assist them in their daily lives.The core technologies developed for this platform will help inform and advance future development of robots,” said Akifumi Tamaoki, general manager, Partner Robot Division.
T-HR3 is controlled from a Master Maneuvering System, which allows a human operator to manipulate its movement through the use of wearable controls that map hand, arm and foot movements. Using the dead-mounted display, the operator is able to see exactly what the T-HR3 sees, making useful movements far more effective.
Toyota’s new toy is made up of motors, reduction gears and torque sensors that are connected to each of its joints. Working in unison, they operate 29 individual body parts, which allow the robot to mimic with precision, the movements of said operator.
In total, the T-HR3 weights 75kg, which is equivalent to a regular size adult male. It’s moving parts comprises of 32 axes and 10 fingers, which allow for easier and more human-like movement. Its creation is a testament to the ingenuity of Toyota, who, since the 1980s has been developing industrial robots to enhance its manufacturing processes.
As bizarre as this might sound, Ford has created a robot has that looks and operates like a human bottom – and there is good reason for it. This contraption is being used to simulate how drivers and passengers get in and out of their car seats.
This data allows engineers to carefully map the pressure points on a seat, enabling them to test the wear and tear of materials. Called ‘Robutt’, the machine simulates human movement when getting in and out of a car, which will help the manufacturer increase the lifespan of its materials.
“From the first moment we get into a car, the seat creates an impression of comfort and quality,” said Svenja Froehlich, a durability engineer, at Ford’s European HQ, in Cologne, Germany.
“Previously, we used pneumatic cylinders that simply moved up and down. With the ‘Robutt’, we are now able to replicate very accurately how people really behave,” he later added.
Robutt was built to resemble an average-sized large man and its job on car seats, is to simulate ten years of use in just three weeks – sitting down and getting up 25,000 times. The tests were carried out in a new Ford Fiesta but the Blue Oval will be rolling the test for all of its vehicles for the Europe market.
