Research on Sustainable Design of Smart Charging Pile Based on Machine Learning

Abstract

With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, the importance of the user experience and product sustainability requirements for intelligent charging stations has become increasingly significant. However, accurately capturing the complex associations between design features and sustainability elements remains challenging. Therefore, this study aims to balance user needs and environmental standards in designing smart charging piles, ensuring adherence to symmetry principles. This balance addresses the growing demand for personalization and ensures sustainability. In this paper, the semiotic approach to product construction (SAPAD) model is introduced to analyze the user behavioral process in depth and clarify the core needs of users. Subsequently, these core needs are translated into specific technical requirements for products, and a correlation matrix linking user needs with product technical requirements is constructed using fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) to identify design features that fulfill the user requirements. The sustainability factors are then comprehensively evaluated and prioritized based on three dimensions: economic, environmental, and social, i.e., the triple bottom line (TBL). Furthermore, a mapping matrix is developed to connect the design features and sustainability factors, which is combined with the particle swarm optimization–random forest (PSO-RF) algorithm to predict the sustainability factors associated with design features that meet users’ needs. The number of branches m and the maximum depth d of the random forest (RF) algorithm are optimized using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. The results indicate that the SAPAD-FQFD model effectively identifies the user needs and relevant product design features. In contrast, the PSO-RF model adeptly manages the nonlinear relationships between charging pile design features and various sustainability factors, e.g., aesthetics and material selection, ensuring that the intelligent charging pile meets users’ core needs in terms of form and function, while embodying the principles of design symmetry. This integrated approach effectively bridges the gap between user needs analysis and product functional design, ensuring the sustainability of the design solution. This study contributes a sustainable framework for the development and design of smart charging piles and related products, further promoting the adoption of green design principles and symmetry design concepts within the supporting infrastructure of new energy vehicles.