Vasco Portugal sidewalk EV charger featured in the Media Lab exhibit

Vasco Portugal, a Sustainable Energy Systems PhD student in the MIT Portugal Program, co-developed with the MIT student Jason Gao (MIT PhD – Computer Science) a prototype of a built-in sidewalk charger for the CityCar - the MIT Media Lab electric car. This prototype is featured at the main entrance of the Media Lab in the exhibition - Wheels + Legs - until  May, 31st.

The exhibition Wheels + Legs results from a shared commitment to disruptive technologies created at the interface of traditional disciplines under the motto “The only limitations are physical law and the boundaries of our collective imaginations”. Within this context, the innovative prototype developed by Vasco Portugal and Jason Gao was selected to be featured at this exhibition. The prototype is a charger for the electric cars that was designed to be embedded in the sidewalk, a weatherproof system incorporated in the pavement, creating a smart parking lot that discreetly charges the electric vehicle while it is parked. The device uses conduction to transfer power between a charging pad in the sidewalk and a receiver in the front or back of the car. Underlying is the idea that the user simply has to park the CityCar directly in touch with a pad in the pavement to begin charging, rather than having to connect a power cable manually.

Although the prototype has been designed with the MIT CityCar in mind, the technology can be applied to the charging of any given Electric vehicle. This innovation would allow for the much more widespread and effective use of current EVs by facilitating the deployment within the city and constant charging whenever the vehicle is parked.

The exhibit description:

“From lightweight, shared, electric vehicles that fold, to artificial limbs that not only emulate—but improve upon—biological gaits, the Media Lab is transforming mobility for the 21st century. This exhibit features the work of two Media Lab research groups: Changing Places (Kent Larson, director) and Biomechatronics (Hugh Herr, director). Changing Places researchers are creating more livable and sustainable cities with projects like the CityCar, GreenWheel, RoboScooter, and PEV (Persuasive Electric Vehicle). The Biomechatronics group focuses on smart prostheses, orthotics, and exoskeletons, blurring the boundaries between what is human and what is not. This work results from a shared commitment to disruptive technologies created at the interface of traditional disciplines. The only limitations are physical law and the boundaries of our collective imaginations.”

Link for the exhibition: http://www.media.mit.edu/events/2012/12/21/wheels-legs

In the Media:

EurekAlert ;  Ciência PT ; Big News Network ; MIT ESD News ; Ver Portugal Negócios ; P3 ; e-move ; Boas Notícias ; Transportes em revista ;