Shell's Experimental Automated Gas Station
At Shell's experimental automated gas station, a robot fills your tank.
BY MICHAEL LAMM
Photos by James A. Sugar
Published in the February 1998 issue.
If you find yourself at a loss for some polite conversation with the gas station attendant, soon you may not have to worry. Then again, if you've counted on him for directions when you're lost, you may be out of luck. That's because full automation is about to enter the filling station arena. Soon, there will be no one to say, "Fill 'er up," to anymore. In fact, you won't even have to get out of your car.
Here's how it works:
You pull into the station and an electronic sensor reads the transponder that you've placed on the dashboard, visor or wherever it can be read. As you pull in, the information from the transponder identifies your car's make and model. That's important, because it tells Shell's robot fueling system, called a Smart Pump, exactly where your fuel-filler door is located.
By now you've parked. A pay module moves to the driver's window. You swipe your payment card through the slot, choose the grade of gasoline you want, then hit the interior release for your car's fuel-filler door if your car is so equipped. Meanwhile, an overhead 3D camera validates the make and model of your car. It also reads exactly how you've parked–whether your vehicle is alongside the pump island or a little askew from it. The 3D camera feeds your car's position to a "vision" computer and adds this information to that of the transponder.
Based on these inputs, the Smart Pump's robot arm moves to the proper side of your car and slowly lowers itself. It stops at just the right height a few inches from your fuel-filler door. A suction cup above the fill nozzle gently opens your filler door, then retracts. Finally, the fuel nozzle inserts itself through the special cap. The nozzle extends a few inches down into your tank and automatically fills it.
Shell's special gas cap fits over the mouth of your fill pipe and twists in place in seconds. This special cap replaces your vehicle's original gas cap. The cap has a spring-loaded flap that provides an airtight seal. The fuel nozzle pushes the flap open and creates a tight seal. The cap also contains a series of vent slots so the fumes can be routed up through a secondary conduit and into a vapor canister. After it fills your tank, the nozzle retracts and the robot arm automatically swings up and out of harm's way.
Full Article:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1266746.html
At Shell's experimental automated gas station, a robot fills your tank.
BY MICHAEL LAMM
Photos by James A. Sugar
Published in the February 1998 issue.
If you find yourself at a loss for some polite conversation with the gas station attendant, soon you may not have to worry. Then again, if you've counted on him for directions when you're lost, you may be out of luck. That's because full automation is about to enter the filling station arena. Soon, there will be no one to say, "Fill 'er up," to anymore. In fact, you won't even have to get out of your car.
Here's how it works:
You pull into the station and an electronic sensor reads the transponder that you've placed on the dashboard, visor or wherever it can be read. As you pull in, the information from the transponder identifies your car's make and model. That's important, because it tells Shell's robot fueling system, called a Smart Pump, exactly where your fuel-filler door is located.
By now you've parked. A pay module moves to the driver's window. You swipe your payment card through the slot, choose the grade of gasoline you want, then hit the interior release for your car's fuel-filler door if your car is so equipped. Meanwhile, an overhead 3D camera validates the make and model of your car. It also reads exactly how you've parked–whether your vehicle is alongside the pump island or a little askew from it. The 3D camera feeds your car's position to a "vision" computer and adds this information to that of the transponder.
Based on these inputs, the Smart Pump's robot arm moves to the proper side of your car and slowly lowers itself. It stops at just the right height a few inches from your fuel-filler door. A suction cup above the fill nozzle gently opens your filler door, then retracts. Finally, the fuel nozzle inserts itself through the special cap. The nozzle extends a few inches down into your tank and automatically fills it.
Shell's special gas cap fits over the mouth of your fill pipe and twists in place in seconds. This special cap replaces your vehicle's original gas cap. The cap has a spring-loaded flap that provides an airtight seal. The fuel nozzle pushes the flap open and creates a tight seal. The cap also contains a series of vent slots so the fumes can be routed up through a secondary conduit and into a vapor canister. After it fills your tank, the nozzle retracts and the robot arm automatically swings up and out of harm's way.
Full Article:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/1266746.html
