Volkswagen is looking into the possibility of building robots to complete the inane task of plugging your car in to charge.
That’s thanks to a new Cooperation Contract between VW and Kuka, an automation specialist. The contract intensifies the partnership between the two companies that are developing robots to make future mobility easier.
“In future, robots will support humans in many routine tasks,” said Till Reuter, CEO of KUKA AG. “And everyday life in future will be inconceivable without autonomous driving. We will work together on innovative concepts in order to shape this future.”
Right now, that specifically means a robot to plug in your electric car when you’re done driving. Just park in a designated spot, and the robot takes care of plugging in your car. The advantage being that a robot takes care of that process without your even having to ask it to.
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“Autonomous vehicles will contribute to making mobility safer, simpler and more convenient. This includes innovative services associated with the automobile,” said Ulrich Eichhorn, head of R&D at VW. “Our aim is to use the new strategic partnership to develop other opportunities in this area.”
Earlier this year, at the Geneva auto show, VW unveiled its concept for the autonomous future. Called SEDRIC, the completely driverless conveyance was furnished like a lounge on the inside.
It seems odd that VW is so heavily emphasizing autonomous vehicles since their semi-robotic nature would seem to make a charge-bot unnecessary (just have it plug itself into the charging pod like a Roomba).
On the other hand, the thought of having a team of robots (droids, if you will) to look after your car is oddly pleasing.
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