Maximo promotional video (Video = AES YouTube)
Applied Energy Services (AES), an American energy company, has unveiled a man-made intelligence (AI)-based robot that it says will cut the time and value of putting in solar panels in half.
AES recently announced the event of a robot called Maximo, which is designed to satisfy the growing demand for renewable energy by working alongside construction teams to assist increase the speed, efficiency, and safety of solar panel installation.
In line with the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar energy installations are expected to greater than triple annually by 2035. This may require a near doubling in manpower, which is where AES has decided to deploy robots.
“Maximo is the primary proven solar installation robot to hit the market,” said Andres Gluski, CEO of AES. “As we face unprecedented demand for electricity driven by the proliferation of AI and data centers, innovations like robotics will play a critical role in helping address this.”
Maximo automates the means of placing and fixing solar modules, which is described as a serious assist in safety and scalability. It also emphasized that it shortens project schedules and provides opportunities for creating recent high-tech jobs.
This robot uses AWS’s AI technology.
These include IoT technology for vision AI, generative AI functions that restore images obscured by light reflection, etc., pipeline construction that relearns acquired information, and digital twin construction for robot management. Specifically, that is the primary case of constructing an AI robot using AWS’s robot simulation platform, RoboMaker.
This permits it to perform under a wide range of climate and lighting conditions and has been proven in multiple project sites across the US.
It has already accomplished installation of about 10 megawatts (MW) of solar panels and goals to put in 100 MW by 2025. AES has said it’s going to put money into constructing 5 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects over the following three years.
“As demand for energy soars, the necessity for brand spanking new solar and wind projects grows,” said Chris Walker, AWS Director of Energy. “We’re excited to work with renewable energy developers like AES to leverage AI technologies to assist us move toward a carbon-free energy future.”
Reporter Lee Yu-seon energy@aiitmes.com
