Medigus Ltd., a technology company engaged in advanced medical solutions, innovative internet technologies and electric vehicle and charging solutions, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Charging Robotics Ltd. and BGN Technologies, the technology transferred company of Ben-Gurion University signed an agreement to develop the next generation of Charging Robotics' wireless charging system for electric vehicles.
Once developed, the system will be installed on a dedicated robot that will reside under the vehicle and automatically and wirelessly recharge the battery. The system is designed to be installed in public parking lots in a manner that will lower the infrastructure installation costs compared to other available systems. Last July, Charging Robotics successfully demonstrated its ability for wireless charging at low power. The system will work at about 12kW which is the standard for type-1 chargers found in residential use today.
“This system addresses a key problem in the EV marketplace identified by industry experts – vehicle sales are outpacing the installation of convenient charging stations,” said Liron Carmel. CEO of Medigus. “According to a report by The Fuel Institute last June, 90 percent of EV owners have their own garages, but those numbers will change dramatically as city-dwellers are buying more EVs.”
“What’s pretty clear right now is that electric vehicles are coming, and they are quickly going to saturate the market of wealthy people with garages,” Dave Mullaney, who studies electrification as the principal of the Carbon-Free Mobility team at the Rocky Mountain Institute, a sustainability-focused research organization, told Wired Magazine last January. “They need to expand beyond that.”
The development of the new system will be carried out by Prof. Alon Kuperman's research group at Ben-Gurion University. Prof. Kuperman from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has extensive knowledge and experience in developing wireless energy transmission systems for various uses.
“Ben-Gurion University is an excellent partner for the development of our system and we are excited to collaborate with them. The electric vehicle revolution will require advanced public charging solutions,” said Hovav Gilan, CEO of Charging Robotics. “Charging Robotics and Ben-Gurion University have set the goal of developing a system that will provide an excellent driver experience while delivering a highly efficient, inexpensive solution for public parking operators as well as offering a positive impact on the environment.”
Zafrir Levy, Senior VP, Exact Sciences & Engineering, BGN Technologies, said, “We are excited to partner with Charging Robotics, to further advance the growing field of smart transportation. This collaboration leverages Prof. Kuperman's breakthrough inventions in wireless transfer of energy and positions Ben-Gurion University as an important source of innovative technologies for advancing the field of smart transportation.”
