Oulu Innovation Alliance’s last Olkkari open-house event of 2024 took place at Technopolis Ydinkeskusta on Thursday 12 December. One of the companies present at Olkkari was Rollyy Oy, which develops electric vehicle charging robots.
The day provided opportunities to hear about the latest innovations in technology and sustainability. In particular, innovations related to robotics, digitalisation and the circular economy, such as OSAO’s digital campus for sustainable development, SmartCity solutions, and the use of robots and smart technology in the social and health sector were presented.
Companies, students and exhibitors were also present. For example, information was presented on a hydrogen truck to be invested in for the VISIOK project by OSAO, the University of Oulu, and Oulu University of Applied Sciences. The Oulu Circular Economy Cluster, funded by the BusinessOulu Automotive and Circular Economy Clusters (ACE Clusters) project, supports companies in their transition to a sustainable and productive circular economy model. A speech by the cluster’s representatives highlighted foresight and collaboration as key measures.
Rollyy develops charging robots for electric vehicles
One of the companies present at Olkkari was Rollyy Oy, which develops electric vehicle charging robots. Rollyy is an Oulu-based company with a multicultural team that aims to make parking and charging electric vehicles easier, cheaper and more environmentally friendly by using autonomous charging robots.
– Our idea is to bring the energy to the customer, without the need to build fixed charging points, says David Vasquez, CEO of Rollyy.
A similar concept is familiar, for example, from food robots that deliver groceries to your door. In this case, energy is delivered instead of food. When customers book a parking space in a garage in advance using the app, they can also book a charging robot that will be waiting for them. The system saves time both in terms of finding a parking space and charging. The autonomous charging robot makes it quick and easy to charge the vehicle when parking.
Juha Kela, Innovation Director at Rollyy, adds that the charging robot is a flexible solution not only for charging but also for parking. There are currently limited parking spaces and not enough charging points for electric vehicles.
– The solution is also more sustainable than building fixed charging points, which tie up more labour and resources, and produce more emissions. Our goal is to make the autonomous charging robot fully Finnish-made and reduce emissions to zero.
First partner found in Oulu
The development of the charging robot started four years ago, when Vasquez and his team conducted various experiments with 5G technology. They also took part in a pitching competition to find potential investors for their idea. Eventually, they found an operator in Oulu that was interested in their solution. This served as a springboard for other clients.
– After Oulu, we started to find a lot of customers in other parts of Finland, as well as partners in Europe. Currently, we have partnerships in the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, among others, says Vasquez.
However, Rollyy is based in Oulu. Kela says the opportunities for cooperation in Oulu are excellent.
– We have been able to cooperate well here and have received a lot of help in developing our business plan, for example.
Rollyy works a lot with the University of Oulu and Oulu-based companies such as Probot Oy. Currently, Rollyy is looking for funding opportunities and partners for the pilot projects.
– We are looking for new innovation partners, for example from local parking companies, charging operators and municipalities. The charging robot is ready for the pilot phase, and we are looking to partner with local stakeholders to implement them. We aim to launch the pilot in 2025.
However, the first pilot for an autonomous charging robot already took place at OIA Olkkari: Vasquez and Kela held the first public live demonstration of robot charging of electric vehicles in the Nordic countries in the Technopolis parking garage.