In one of the largest real-world demonstrations of construction robots being used at utility-scale solar construction so far, a Maximo robot has completed the successful installation of 100 MW of solar capacity at the sprawling AES Bellefield solar complex.
After completing the first half of the Bellefield complex last summer, Maximo engineers went into a higher gear, with the latest version 3.0 robots consistently surpassing an installation rate of one module per minute, with construction crews installing as many as 24 solar panel modules per hour, per person.
If that sounds fast, that’s because it is. At full tilt, the latest Maximo robot-equipped crews have nearly doubled the output of traditional installation methods at similar solar locations throughout Southern California.
“Reaching 100 MW is an important milestone for Maximo and for the role robotics can play in solar construction,” explains Chris Shelton, president of Maximo. “It demonstrates that field robotics can move beyond experimentation and deliver consistent results at utility scale. As solar deployment continues to accelerate globally, technologies that improve installation speed, quality and reliability will become increasingly important.”
Intelligent vision
Like every other startup fishing for investors, Maximo is playing up the AI angle with claims that NVIDIA supported the development and readiness of the Maximo robots deployed at the Bellefield complex.
(By) leveraging NVIDIA AI infrastructure together with NVIDIA Omniverse libraries and NVIDIA Isaac Sim open robotics simulation framework, the Maximo team was able to develop, test and refine robotic capabilities through physics-based simulation and AI driven modeling before deploying updates in the field. The combination of AI, vision, robotics and simulation driven engineering reduced development and validation timelines and increased confidence in field performance as the robotic fleet scaled.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) powered the development, deployment, and operation of Maximo’s AI-driven field systems. AWS provides scalable computing, automated software delivery, and advanced data analytics, including real-time construction intelligence, enabling Maximo to collect operational robotics data and continuously improve performance.
The rapid deployment of solar panels at utility scale projects like this one – set to eventually reach over a GW of solar generating capacity – could not come at a better time, with a continuing war in the Middle East and potentially permanently crippled fossil fuel production capabilities driving up energy costs as the demands for new data centers and EV charging infrastructure pile on the energy demands.
“Innovation in carbon-free energy development is critical to meeting the world’s growing energy needs,” said Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer, Amazon. “By combining AI and robotics, technologies like Maximo demonstrate how we can accelerate the transition to carbon-free energy while improving safety and efficiency. Amazon is proud to support projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable infrastructure.”
Like just about every other business that demands a high degree of physical labor, the construction industry is facing huge labor shortages, making machines like Maximo that provide real efficiency gains welcome additions to the job site.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Maximo.
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