By: Ben Xu
The world needs electricity more than ever. This requisite is due to the rapid development of AI and the need for more data centers. Solar panels for renewable energy can be extremely cheap, but there aren’t enough workers to fulfill the task of installation. An energy company called AES initiated a new idea to solve this problem: using robots to install solar panels.
The idea isn’t to replace all of the workers. Instead, AES wants to have the same amount of people but double the amount of work they get done. Andrés Gluski, the AES president and CEO, said, “My idea is not to hire less people, but to do twice as much with the same number of people.”
The robot, called Maximo, is the size of a pickup truck. Its extendable arm uses suction cups to lift the solar panels one at a time. When laying down the solar panels into rows, Maximo has to use artificial intelligence to position them properly. Due to the outdoor conditions such as rain, dirt, or uneven ground, Maximo has to use AI and computer vision to overcome the possible challenges.
Already, Maximo has installed 10 megawatts of solar panels, which would be enough to power about 2,000 homes. AES plans to continue testing for months before putting Maximo in the California Desert to begin the largest solar and battery project under construction.
As a result of the growth of AI and data, there have been huge demands for more solar energy. With this new project, humanity can enhance the efficiency of solar farms and, therefore, create more and more solar energy. Mr. Gluski said, “Maximo is the first proven solar installation robot on the market. We are facing unprecedented increases in demand, driven in large part by the rise of AI and data centers, and innovations like these will be fundamental for accelerating our ability to bring projects online faster and with greater efficiency.” With the help of Maximo, energy can sprout, and so can the current age of AI.
Sources:
https://www.aes.com/press-release/AES-Launches-First-AI-Enabled-Solar-Installation-Robot