A manufacturer of industrial robotics systems has developed a system for automating the construction of large-scale solar plants.

According to Utah-based Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp., final validation of its Outdoor Autonomous Manipulation of Photovoltaic Panels (O-AMPP) project has been achieved.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, the robotic system was developed as a possible solution to global labor shortages and an increased demand for solar power.

The O-AMPP prototype system features an autonomous working vehicle, an autonomous delivery vehicle and a robotic arm. According to the manufacturer, the system’s onboard cameras serve to identify where photovoltaic (PV) panels are to be installed while the robotic arm autonomously lifts up panels via a vacuum system and places them in the locations where the panels will be clamped to the mounting structure.

“The arm then goes into a special mode where the person clamping the panel can easily move that panel however they need, in order to align it and attach it into the panels,” researchers from Sarcos explained.

Benefits of the O-AMPP system, according to its developers, include reduced solar panel project costs, projection multiplication, shortened construction timelines, improved quality and a safer worksite that reduces the risk of lifting and fatigue-related injuries to human workers.

For more information on the O-AMPP system, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Sarcos.