Toronto, Ontario — In this weekly electric and autonomous vehicle report, Hyundai files a patent for an all-solid-state electric vehicle system in the United States; while the University of Liverpool invents autonomous, robotic vehicles to repair potholes.
Under pressure
Hyundai has recently filed a patent for a pressurized all-solid-state EV battery system in the United States.
The patent—which was originally published on December 28, 2023—describes an all-solid battery system where pressure is constantly maintained in each cell regardless of charging and discharging rates in an effort to improve battery stability and energy density.
Because solid-state batteries have no liquid electrolyte, a solid material must be used. As a result, these materials can be expensive and hard to source.
Hyundai’s proposed all-solid-state battery system intends to overcome these challenges by having the battery cells arranged in a closed pressure chamber to ensure that the materials used are more efficient and thus, have a greater longevity.
Alongside the closed pressure chamber, sensors will be used to determine the pressure and temperature in the chamber, while a voltage detector will show the voltage of each cell. An included controller will also allow the battery to start charging and discharging each cell when the temperature and pressure are within a set range.
The system is further described as including a temperature-adjusting device to help maintain optimal temperatures for the battery’s functionality.
This patent comes in tandem with Hyundai filing patents for battery electrolyte solutions and methods of manufacturing solid-state electrodes.
Paving the way
The University of Liverpool in Liverpool, England, has formed a new spin-off company, Robotiz3d, to use artificial intelligence (A.I.) and robotics to improve and repair road defects.
A joint venture established in partnership with a2e Ltd., the company will commercialize patented research from the University’s Engineering Robotics Lab.
Dr. Paolo Paoletti, who will serve as Chief Technology Officer for the company said that “Robotiz3d Ltd will develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven robotic system to address the national and international potholes problems. The proposed system will be able to autonomously detect and characterize road defects such as cracks and potholes, assess and predict the severity of such defects and fix cracks so that they do not evolve into potholes.”
The research and development team noted that in the United Kingdom and elsewhere around the world, there is currently no autonomous technology systems that exist to tackle the pothole crisis which plagues many parts of the country and is estimated to have cost more than £1 billion in England alone over the past decade.
Currently, no concrete timeline has been set for when Robotiz3d’s technology will be trialed, but Professor Anthony Hollander, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact at the university notes that “by partnering with a2e and putting solid investment behind Robotiz3d, we are aiming to make a real difference to the economy, society and the environment.
