The invention relates to a method for controlling a charging infrastructure comprising a charging station for charging a vehicle having a vehicle-side charging interface, wherein the charging station comprises a robot that carries a robot-side charging interface for establishing a charging connection with the vehicle-side charging interface, wherein the robot comprises a main base and a compliance assembly that is arranged kinematically between the main base and the robot-side charging interface for providing a compliance, wherein the method comprises in series a positioning phase in which the robot-side charging interface is moved to an initial connecting position, and a connecting phase in which the robot-side charging interface establishes a charging connection with the vehicle-side charging interface, wherein in the positioning phase a compliance value is compared with a positioning intervention value and a positioning instruction is changed when the compliance value exceeds a positioning intervention value, and in the connecting phase the compliance value is compared with a connecting intervention value and a connecting instruction is changed when the compliance value exceeds the connecting intervention value, wherein the positioning intervention value differs from the connecting intervention value.

A method for preventing a robot from colliding with a charging base, including: step 1, during a process of moving in a current working area of the robot, detecting, in real time, a reception condition of a base avoidance signal of the robot within a received signal coverage range thereof; and step 2, establishing a safety area in the current working area according to a direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and a preset working path of the robot, and before establishing the safety area, according to an orientation relationship between the base avoidance signal and a direction of a current moving path of the robot, marking and establishing a danger area at a position that satisfies a collision avoidance relationship with a current position of the robot, so that the robot avoids the charging base during the process of moving in the current working area.

A vehicle unit comprising a charging connection for charging a battery of an electric vehicle, where the vehicle unit is provided in the floorpan of the electric vehicle, and the charging connection is designed to be connected to a contacting element on a plane running parallel to the floorpan.

Provided herein is an energy delivery system for transporting electrical energy from an electrical energy generation facility to an electrical energy consumption facility via rail. The energy delivery system can comprise a train comprising at least one rail car loaded with at least one battery system. The at least one battery system can comprise an energy transfer interface for wirelessly receiving energy from the energy generation facility when the train is located at the energy generation facility for charging batteries of the battery system and for wirelessly transferring energy stored by the battery system to the energy consumption facility when the train is located at the energy consumption facility.

Techniques are described for aligning a vehicle to a wireless charger. Wireless communication is performed between at least a first wireless device of the vehicle and at least a second wireless device external to the vehicle. The first wireless device has a stationary position relative to the vehicle. The second wireless device has a stationary position relative to the wireless charger. Based on the wireless communication, a distance between the first and second wireless devices is measured and used to determine the relative position of the vehicle. A trajectory is calculated, based on the relative position of the vehicle, to enable the vehicle to be maneuvered into a charging position in which a charge receiving device of the vehicle is aligned with respect to the wireless charger. In some embodiments, multiple wireless devices on the vehicle or external to the vehicle participate in determining the relative position of the vehicle.

A robotic system for fueling or charging a vehicle having a vehicle connector, the robotic system including a robotic arm having a plurality of sequentially arranged articulated links and at least one group of operating cables extending from a proximal end of the arm to terminate at a control link, for controlling the position of that link, the cables each having a path comprising a passage in each successive more proximal link for closely receiving the cable, a flexible conduit operably connected with the robotic arm for delivering a fluid or an electrical current, respectively, to a vehicle, the conduit being connected to a source at a first end and a delivery connector at a second end, and a control system for operating the robotic arm and the hose or cable, wherein the control system directs the robotic arm to engage the vehicle connector with the delivery connector and, upon engagement of the vehicle connector and delivery connector, the control system relaxes the robotic arm to an under-constrained condition.

A robotic system for fueling or charging a vehicle having a vehicle connector, the robotic system including a robotic arm having a plurality of sequentially arranged articulated links and at least one group of operating cables extending from a proximal end of the arm to terminate at a control link, for controlling the position of that link, the cables each having a path comprising a passage in each successive more proximal link for closely receiving the cable, a flexible conduit operably connected with the robotic arm for delivering a fluid or an electrical current, respectively, to a vehicle, the conduit being connected to a source at a first end and a delivery connector at a second end, and a control system for operating the robotic arm and the hose or cable, wherein the control system directs the robotic arm to engage the vehicle connector with the delivery connector and, upon engagement of the vehicle connector and delivery connector, the control system relaxes the robotic arm to an under-constrained condition.

A charging device for charging a battery of a material handling vehicle includes a stand having a stationary portion, a moveable portion that moves relative to the stationary portion, and one or more actuators to move the moveable portion. A charging plate and a sensing array can be supported on the moveable portion. The sensing array detects a position of the charging plate relative to a collector plate of the material handling vehicle. The sensing array includes a first sensor to detect a first position of the charging plate along a first direction and a second sensor to detect a first position of the charging plate along a second direction. Based on signal from the sensing array, a position controller operates the one or more actuators to move the moveable portion to align the charging plate with the collector plate for charging.

A charging device for charging a battery of a material handling vehicle includes a stand having a stationary portion, a moveable portion that moves relative to the stationary portion, and one or more actuators to move the moveable portion. A charging plate and a sensing array can be supported on the moveable portion. The sensing array detects a position of the charging plate relative to a collector plate of the material handling vehicle. The sensing array includes a first sensor to detect a first position of the charging plate along a first direction and a second sensor to detect a first position of the charging plate along a second direction. Based on signal from the sensing array, a position controller operates the one or more actuators to move the moveable portion to align the charging plate with the collector plate for charging.

An external appearance image of a power transmission unit of a wireless power supply device is registered in a parking assist apparatus in association with identification information on the wireless power supply device. The parking assist apparatus superimposes and displays a target parking area image on a parking space image showing a parking space, and superimposes and displays the external appearance image associated with identification information having the same content as the identification information acquired from the wireless power supply device by wireless communication at a position corresponding to an installation position of the power transmission unit on the parking space image.