2025-02-28
Electric vehicle (EV) charging specialist Moderntec Co., Ltd. (CEO Kim Seong-Doo) announced that, in collaboration with Seoul City, it has established the nation's first robot-AI-based autonomous EV charging station, Seoul Boy, at the public parking lot of Sinbanghwa Station (Seoul Subway Line 9). Commercial operation will begin on February 27.
Seoul Boy is the first service in Korea equipped with an automated system that allows a single robot to charge up to three EVs simultaneously. After undergoing 16 months of pilot operations and safety testing since September 2023, the system obtained robot safety certification from the Korea Robot User Association and successfully completed a citizen experience trial.
Currently, EV users must manually connect and handle heavy charging cables, which can be inconvenient. This issue is particularly burdensome for mobility-impaired individuals, such as wheelchair users, pregnant women, and female drivers. To address this, Seoul Boy utilizes a deep learning-based 3D vision system to recognize its surroundings, detect and track objects in three-dimensional space, and automatically connect and disconnect the charging gun using a robotic arm, eliminating the need for users to charge their vehicles manually.
Using Seoul Boy is easy. Users only need to sign up on Moderntec’s EV charging platform app, "modernBOY", and register their vehicle number and payment method once. After that, charging starts automatically within 60 seconds after parking at the charging station, with no further operation required until charging is complete.
Currently, the system is optimized for IONIQ 5, Kona EV, and EV6 models, with plans to expand compatibility to Tesla and other EV models. The charging fee is ₩324.4 per kWh, the same as Seoul City-operated charging stations. The charging station will operate on weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM, with plans to expand to weekend and nighttime hours based on usage demand.
With the launch of Seoul Boy, Seoul City has introduced Korea’s first robot-AI-based autonomous EV charging service, providing an innovative solution for mobility-impaired individuals and enhancing convenient EV accessibility for all Seoul citizens.
Kim Seong-Doo, CEO of Moderntec, stated, "Through this AI-robot-based autonomous EV charging station, we have created a more convenient environment not only for general EV users but also for mobility-impaired individuals. We will continue to develop and introduce innovative new technologies and charging services in the future."
https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2025022610470789042&type=1