Reeses In Pieces

Problem Statement

How might we deliver an efficient EV charging solution that reduces charging downtime, without requiring human intervention?

Inspiration

When considering everyday automation, we looked towards autonomy that can aid Singapore in achieving a more sustainable future. In an effort to reduce land transport emissions in support of Singapore's net-zero goal, LTA has looked towards the electrification of vehicles to achieve this target. This increment demands infrastructural upgrades to current parking solutions, which in the long run may be inefficient as the number of cars operating on clean energy increases. We decided to focus on Electric Vehicles (EVs), specifically how their charging systems require human intervention in order to achieve low charging downtimes between cars. For example, when an EV is done charging, the current system requires the owner to physically remove the charging apparatus, then move their car away, which is both time and effort consuming.

Solution

Therefore, our group (Reeses in Pieces) proposes the use of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), equipped with portable Energy Storage Systems (ESS), to charge parked EVs using a manipulator arm. This reduces charging downtime and inconveniences that come with an EV charging spot. Our prototype focuses on the manipulator arm operation.

Target Audience

Our target audience are current and future EV drivers or adopters who are looking to avoid the hassle of fighting for charging spots.

Why you stand out

Our solution only showcases the manipulator portion of the AMR. By adopting a forward-thinking methodology, we believe the entire robot can be adopted by the EV market to become a large part of everyday automation in the future.