Robo filler

14th February 2008

Filling up can be a messy business, but fuel-splattered hands could soon be a thing of the past. A team of Dutch inventors has unveiled the world’s first automatic refuelling robot, and it can top up your tank without you having to leave the car!

The space-age pump attendant, known as the Tankpitstop, uses cameras to recognise a vehicle’s shape as it approaches. The information is then matched to a database of fuel cap designs and compatible fuel types.

Using a host of sophisticated sensors, the robotic arm extends from its dock, opens the car’s flap and unscrews the filler cap. Then it picks up the correct nozzle and fills the tank, just like a human.

However, it will only work for cars whose contours and dimensions have been recorded on its database, and if the filler cap can be opened without a key. One of the inventors, Nico van Staveren, explained his inspiration: “I was on a farm and I saw a robotic arm milking a cow. I thought if a robot can do that, then why can’t it fill a car tank?” The machine will cost petrol stations £56,000 to install per pump, but despite the high costs, Tankpitstop will be introduced to a handful of Dutch forecourts by the end of the year. Log on to www.tankpitstop.com to see a video of the robot in action.