EV Charging Robot Arm Dual-Light Illumination for Socket Recognition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle charging systems face challenges in accurately matching input images of charging sockets with reference images due to illuminance imbalances caused by the presence or absence of self-illumination devices and the uniform reflection of light from curved surfaces, leading to difficulties in recognizing the charging socket position.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle charging system using a robot with a dual-light controller setup, where first and second lamps and sensors measure illuminance from opposite sides, allowing the robot arm to rotate and minimize light reflection from the charging socket's opened cover, ensuring accurate image capture and alignment regardless of illumination conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single light source is used to illuminate the charging socket, then the structure is simple, but illuminance imbalance occurs due to light reflection from the opened cover
Solution Approach 1:
The single light source is divided into multiple light sources (first light source and second light source) positioned at different locations. Each light source illuminates the charging socket from a different angle, preventing uniform reflection from the opened cover and creating more balanced illuminance distribution across the charging area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the charging socket are illuminated with different light intensities and angles by positioning light sources at specific locations. The first light source illuminates from one side while the second light source illuminates from another side, ensuring that each local area receives appropriate lighting to eliminate reflection-induced illuminance imbalance.
2Productivity
If the robot arm operates without rotating to minimize reflection, then the operation is simple and fast, but illuminance imbalance affects image recognition accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm performs a rotation operation before the charging connector makes contact with the charging socket. This preliminary rotation minimizes light reflection from the opened cover in advance, ensuring that the illuminance is balanced when the image is captured for position recognition, without delaying the overall charging process.
3Device complexity
If image recognition is performed without considering light reflection, then the process is simple, but the matching accuracy between input image and reference image deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system preemptively counteracts the harmful effect of light reflection by rotating the robot arm to minimize reflection from the opened cover before image capture. This preliminary anti-action ensures that the input image has balanced illuminance, improving matching accuracy with the reference image without requiring complex image processing algorithms to correct reflection artifacts.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively matches input images with reference images, improving the validity of the charging process by eliminating illuminance imbalances and ensuring high probability of correct connection, regardless of illumination devices, thus enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the charging process.
Implementation Method 1
a first light controller provided with a first lamp and a first illuminance sensor, a second light controller installed at an opposite side of the first light controller with respect to the charging connector and provided with a second lamp and a second illumination sensor... the first illuminance sensor may measure the illuminance of light reflected by the charging socket... the second illuminance sensor may measure the illuminance of light reflected by the charging socket
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle charging system using a robot and a charging method using the same are disclosed. The electric vehicle charging system using a robot, for connecting a charging connector to a charging socket of the electric vehicle, includes a robot arm for moving and rotating the charging connector, an image acquirer installed in the robot arm so as to generate image information of the charging socket, and a controller for controlling operation of the robot arm and the image acquirer. The image acquirer includes a first light controller provided with a first lamp and a first illuminance sensor, a second light controller installed at an opposite side of the first light controller with respect to the charging connector, and provided with a second lamp and a second illuminance sensor, and a camera capturing an image of the charging socket.