Method and device for detecting electric vehicle using external camera and electric vehicle charging robot using the same

A vehicle position detection device, comprising:

• a memory having stored therein program instructions;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and executing the program instructions stored in the memory,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• acquire a plurality of original images of a vehicle from a plurality of cameras;
• convert each of the plurality of original images into a bird's eye view image;
• detect a bounding box associated with the vehicle in each of the bird's eye view images by using the original image and the bird's eye view image that correspond to each other,
• project the bird's-eye view images including the bounding box into a plane parallel with a ground to generate a projection image, by:
• mapping the bird's-eye view images corresponding to the plurality of original images along with respective bounding boxes to the projection image;
• and
• calculating averages of the coordinates of a plurality of bounding boxes corresponding to respective bird's-eye view images to determine a final bounding box;
• and
• estimate a distance to the vehicle from a predetermined reference point or an orientation of the vehicle with respect to a predetermined reference line;
• and
• control a manipulator to drive a robot arm when the orientation of the vehicle or the distance to the vehicle is within a predetermined range.

An electric vehicle charging robot, comprising:

• a memory having program instructions stored therein;
• a processor coupled to the memory and executing the program instructions stored in the memory;
• a robot arm having a charging plug connected to a power source and installed at a distal end and configured to implement translational movement, rotational movement, or a combination of translational movement and rotational movement;
• and
• a manipulator configured to drive the robot arm,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• acquire a plurality of original images of a vehicle from a plurality of cameras;
• convert each of the plurality of original images into a bird's eye view image;
• detect a bounding box associated with the vehicle in each of the bird's eye view images by using the original image and the bird's eye view image that correspond to each other;
• project the bird's-eye view images including the bounding box into a plane parallel with a ground to generate a projection image, by:
• mapping the bird's-eye view images corresponding to the plurality of original images along with respective bounding boxes to the projection image;
• and
• calculating averages of the coordinates of a plurality of bounding boxes corresponding to respective bird's-eye view images to determine a final bounding box;
• estimate a distance to the vehicle from a predetermined reference point or an orientation of the vehicle with respect to a predetermined reference line;
• and
• control the manipulator to drive the robot arm when the orientation of the vehicle or the distance to the vehicle is within a predetermined range.