Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Solar  -  June 22, 2018

Sprint tests robot EV chargers

Sprint announced the debut of the “Mobi” self-driving robot, designed to charge electric buses, cars, and industrial vehicles. The robot will be tested in New York City beginning in 2019 with the goal of helping the city meet its target to lower CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

A statement from Sprint noted the company partnered with Adaptive Motion Group on these solar-charged units, which can move to where they are needed using artificial intelligence, advanced Sprint Internet of Things (IoT) technology and the Sprint 5G mobile network.

"We are thrilled to demonstrate just how an intelligent robot like Mobi will dramatically reduce CO2 emissions across New York City by making electric vehicle use more practical," said Ivo Rook, senior vice president, IoT at Sprint. "AMG's impressive self-driving and positioning will come alive through Sprint IoT technology and the next-generation Sprint 5G mobile network we are building – allowing it to travel to parked vehicles across the city. The current reality of vehicles taking turns at electric charging stations is just not efficient and slows the real-world adoption of EVs. We believe that this is the ultimate solution for a cleaner, healthier New York City."

The tests utilize Sprint's LTE network in advance of the company launching the first 5G mobile network in the U.S next year. New York City was named among the first nine cities where Sprint will launch its high capacity mobile 5G network, enabling incredible new connections to people and things, services and innovative solutions such as Mobi.

To further reduce carbon emissions, LG Electronics added an efficient energy storage solution that utilizes solar energy cells (PV) and a lithium-ion battery to charge the Mobi unit. Combined with a sophisticated system that will use small 5G signal units mounted on various city street fixtures to enable more accurate location navigation, known as micro-positioning.

"5G enabled micro-positioning will enable new applications from connected vehicles to augmented reality," said David Bruemmer, CEO of AMG. "We are starting with parking lots, but smart parking will become smart roads and, eventually, smart cities."

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: