While we’re still a long way from the futuristic robots we see in science fiction movies, the autonomous robotics industry has made incredible progress in recent years. From helping us with our daily lives to working towards a cleaner planet, robots have the potential to have a huge impact on the world.
01. Clearbot
Aquatic trash is a global environmental problem, but one startup has come up with a robotic helper: ClearBot, an autonomous, solar-powered boat that picks up floating trash. In a test program on a lake in northeastern India, ClearBot was able to collect 1,320 to 1,540 pounds of trash over a three-day period.
Clearbot has multiple fleets operating in India and Hong Kong, with plans to expand further, providing an environmentally friendly way to reduce pollution in waterways.
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02. Serve
“Why deliver a two-pound burrito in a two-ton vehicle?” This is exactly the question being addressed by Serve, a company that aims to use robots to make the food delivery industry more affordable, sustainable and convenient. These all-electric robots take delivery vehicles off the roads, reducing both traffic and pollution.
Unlike competitors like Kiwibot and Koko, Saab is the first delivery robot with fully autonomous capabilities. Saab has already deployed robots in the Los Angeles area, and through a commercial agreement with Uber, it plans to deploy up to 2,000 more sidewalk delivery robots in new locations available on Uber Eats.
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03. Terra Fab
Terabase Energy’s new construction automation robot, Terafab, simplifies the solar panel installation process. Increasing labor productivity by 25%, Terafab improves working conditions by eliminating the need for heavy lifting and protecting employees from the hot sun.
The Solar Energy Industries Association predicts that at current rates of solar growth, 800,000 new workers will be needed by 2030. Rather than fueling common fears that automation will eliminate jobs, TerraFab will help the growing solar workforce with its ability to improve working conditions and remove risk from the installation process.
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04. Icaro X4
Developed by engineers at Free Green Nature, the ICARO X4 is a hybrid autonomous agricultural robot that uses ultraviolet C (UV-C) light in vineyards to eliminate mold and fungus without harmful chemicals or pesticides. The robot runs primarily on electric batteries, but can be fitted with a backup diesel generator for up to 72 hours of operation.
Using this new UV-C technology, the ICARO X4 can reduce the use of fungicides in vineyards by up to 70%. Currently, five ICARO X4s are in operation in vineyards in France and Italy, where rising summer temperatures are putting the wine industry under increasing threat from mildew.
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05. Pipebot
Around the world, an estimated 91 billion gallons of clean water are lost every day through leaky pipes, and the UK’s Institute for Integrated Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Research (ICAIR) has come up with a solution to prevent the loss of fresh water: a tiny “Pipebot” that repairs leaks from the inside.
Current models look like toy cars with legs, each equipped with a camera and microphone to move around and analyze its surroundings to pinpoint leaks, and also have AI systems to assess the damage. Once the robot finds a leak, it can make the necessary repairs or call in other robots to help, making leak repairs faster, easier, less labor-intensive and less costly.
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