Is this gas-pumping robotic arm the future of filling the tank?

A gas-pumping robotic arm has been specially designed to offer ‘top-level convenience’ for motorists. 

Denmark-based Autofuel reckons it may have hit on the next big thing when it comes to gas station design with its fully automated gas-pumping robots. 

In a clip, which you can see above, a car is parked up on the forecourt where a robotic arm, carefully and delicately, opens up the fuel cap, grabs a gas nozzle and begins to top up the car. Welcome to the future! 

READ MORE: Inside China’s humanoid factory where robots mimic the people around them

How does the robotic arm work?

On its website, Autofuel explains that refueling the is done just like it has been done for the past 70 years, and no major development has taken place, but in the same period technology has developed faster than ever, and today we have fast internet, smartphones, AI assistants and self-driving cars that will soon be present on the roads.

According to them, gas stations with robotic refueling are the future.

The fully automated system would require motorists to sign up and register their car details – such as model, fuel type, payment details and license plate – this means when you drive up to a gas station using Autofuel, its tech can scan your license plate and pull up the information from its database. 

Much like how a car wash works, the motorists will then be given details on a screen explaining exactly where to park up.

Once in the correct spot, the robotic arm will pop out and get going, while a screen will tell the driver when the robot has finished refueling. 

As soon as the driver is given the green light, they are free to drive off as the payment has already been cleared while the robot was in use. 

Is this really necessary?

Now, this may sound like it’s solving a problem that doesn’t exist – but Autofuel says there’d actually be benefits, for motorists and the gas station alike.

Owners of gas stations will see increased revenue, more time to spend with customers, no theft, decreased spill and waste and faster refueling times. 

While motorists can sit nice and cozy in their cars, no matter what the weather, avoid accidentally choosing the wrong fuel – or they can treat themselves to a coffee all while knowing their car is filling up. 

And really given that robots are doing everything from helping doctors perform surgery to dropping off our takeaways – should we be surprised that they could one day end up pumping out gas?