Building Next-Generation EV Charging Infrastructure for the Autonomous Driving Era

Advancing Fully Unmanned Integration Between Autonomous Vehicles and Robotic Charging Stations

The unmanned robotic charging station jointly demonstrated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Moderntec—the world’s first of its kind—has taken another step forward.

Moderntec, a specialized electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider, announced on the 22nd that it has partnered with Bionever, a Physical AI–based autonomous charging AI company, to advance intelligent autonomous control and perception technologies for robotic charging stations and to build next-generation charging infrastructure in preparation for the autonomous driving era.

Through this collaboration, Moderntec and Bionever will combine AI-based spatial perception, dynamic vehicle condition assessment, and predictive control algorithms with the existing precision control technology of robotic charging stations. As a result, the robotic arm will evolve beyond simple recognition of the charging port into an intelligent robot capable of learning vehicle position, angle, and parking patterns, and determining optimal motion paths autonomously.

In particular, Bionever’s autonomous charging AI technology is integrated with the ISO 15118-20 ACD (Automatic Connection Devices) protocol. It is built on core on-device AI algorithms that analyze video, proximity, and motion sensor data from the robot in real time and autonomously adjust physical movements.

With this technology applied, the robotic arm can accurately recognize the vehicle’s position and charging port status regardless of external environmental changes or vehicle model differences, enabling stable charging operations without any user intervention.

Looking ahead, the two companies plan to realize a fully unmanned charging ecosystem, in which autonomous vehicles enter charging stations on their own, robotic arms automatically perform charging, and vehicles exit without human involvement. This system is expected to serve as core infrastructure in future mobility environments where commercial services such as robotaxis, unmanned logistics vehicles, and autonomous buses become widespread.

Moderntec is also developing a smart power management solution in parallel, integrating Bionever’s AI control platform with its own charging control system to automatically optimize charging wait times, power distribution, and overall charging efficiency.

Through this technology advancement project, the companies plan to develop the Sinbanghwa Station unmanned robotic charging site into an AI-based autonomous driving demonstration hub. Based on this foundation, they intend to expand the deployment of Physical AI robotic charging infrastructure across major transfer centers and logistics hubs throughout Seoul.

A Bionever representative stated, “Physical AI–based autonomous charging technology provides a platform where charging robots can make decisions and act independently,” adding, “Through this collaboration, Moderntec’s robotic charging stations will evolve beyond simple automated facilities into core charging infrastructure for the era of autonomous electric vehicles.”

https://www.mt.co.kr/industry/2025/12/22/2025122211043794019