The video above is an 8-minute interview with Ichiro Sugioka of Volvo talking about Volvo's Recharge concept. Ichiro also talks about the many interesting advantages of battery-powered cars like the power company paying you $2,000 or $3,000 a year to use your car battery while it's parked and using recycled hybrid batteries to store energy from wind turbines. These kinds of things, Ichiro admits, won't be done by a car company. Car companies have developed home charging units for cars and Ichiro hints at a very interesting technology that might be coming from Volvo, robot pluggers. I will let Ichiro explain or you can watch 6:40 into the video interview above:

We would also like to have an automated plug-in system. Which is why we put the plug in the nose of the car. So that you could easily position yourself relative a robotic system, lets say. So that you don't have to plug it in yourself.

Please, please, please, make this electric-car-plugging-robot Ichiro! Also, if you can, make the robot wash the windows and mow the lawn.

Related:

• Frankfurt Preview: Volvo ReCharge - The Swedes go series hybrid
• Electric cars could earn owner $500 a month
• Video: iMiEV has wind turbine in the grill, solar panel on the roof
• Volvo introducing a new flexifuel engine

[Source: YouTube]

Toyota is most likely the world's largest maker of "door to door" automobiles. Could they possibly become a maker of "bed to bed" robots too?

Considering that Honda is building robots already, it's not hard to imagine Toyota starting to do so as well. In addition to the electric-wheelchair-with-a-brain known as Mobility Robot (MR), they've also created one that plays the violin.

The idea behind the MR is that elderly or infirmed individuals could be taken from their bed, up and down stairs, to their cars and back to bed... pretty much anything that a person would need, mobility-wise. And all on battery power. Of course, Toyota backed off when asked if their robot was better than Honda's.

[Source: International Herald Tribune via The Truth About Cars]

Want to take the in-wheel electric motor concept cars like iReal or Pivo off roading? NASA is developing ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Limbed Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) which has in-wheel electric motors as the "foot pads" for mechanical legs. The advantage to this set-up is the small in-wheel electric motors are ideal for transport on flatter surfaces while the robotic legs are better for rougher surfaces. There are several slow, robotic human carriers that exist but what might the future hold for this technology?

Below the fold is a clip from the anime Ghost in the Shell that include Tachikomas, intelligent robots with robot legs that have wheels at the end. At the end of the Nissan press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, Carlos Ghosn, Nissan CEO says with no more engine blocks, transmissions, mechanical steering gears, etc., sustainable mobility technologies like in-wheel motors represent a radical shift in design. I can't wait.

[Source: YouTube]

FirstFuelCells.com, a distributor of practical hydrogen fuel cells for personal and educational use, has teamed up with FIRST Robotics to put on a fuel-cell powered robot competition called the Fuel Cell "Green Machine" Pilot Program. Up to 100 FIRST Robotics teams will compete in the program designed to encourage to young minds to master hydrogen fuel cells and demonstrate their use in robots.

Registered teams are required to develop robots with integrated fuel cell technologies based on a standardized competition kit. Regional competitions are taking place this month with the Championship to be held April 12th in Atlanta, GA.

Analysis: Hydrogen is seen by many to be the fuel source set to take over from petroleum and power our transport into the future. Teaching students today about fuel cells ensures that the next generation of scientists and engineers will get a flying start at making the potential of hydrogen a commercial reality.

Related:

• MIT claims ecomagination Challenge grant
• Shell Eco-marathon returns in April - will anyone beat last year's 6,792 mpg record?
• Clean Snowmobile Challenge draws student teams to develop greener machines

[Source: Fuel Cell Works]