Robotic systems and methods for vehicle fueling and charging

A robotic system for fueling or charging a vehicle having a vehicle connector, comprising:

• a robotic arm;
• 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 includes a sensor for detecting movement of the vehicle;
• and
• wherein the control system directs the robotic arm to engage the delivery connector with the vehicle connector and, upon detecting movement of the vehicle beyond a predetermined threshold, the control system initiates an action to prevent damage to the vehicle or the robotic system.

A robotic system for fueling or charging a vehicle having a vehicle connector, comprising:

• a robotic arm;
• 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 includes a sensor for detecting a connection failure between the delivery connector and the vehicle connector;
• and
• wherein the control system directs the robotic arm to engage the delivery connector with the vehicle connector and, upon detecting a connection failure, the control system initiates an action to prevent a hazard.

A robotic system associated with a first vehicle for fueling or charging a second vehicle having a vehicle connector, comprising:

• a robotic arm mounted to the first vehicle, the 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 the second 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.