CSIRO says it has successfully trialed AI-powered robots on large-scale solar farms in Australia
Powered with LiDAR, RGB, and thermal sensors, these robots can navigate rough terrain and inspect PV panels in real time
With more such trials, it aims to reduce risks for workers and enable smarter, proactive solar farm maintenance
Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, says it has successfully trialed AI-powered robots to monitor and maintain large-scale solar farms. It found that these reduce risks for workers, improve efficiency, and help detect faults in PV panels to ensure stable energy output.
Short for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the agency repurposed autonomous robots originally designed for the mining industry to operate on solar farms.
The robots are equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) for accurate 3D perception, RGB cameras for visual inspection, and thermal infrared cameras that help detect electrical faults and hotspots.
Powered by AI, these robots can navigate solar farms in all terrains and conditions and build precise maps to digitize site conditions. The robots can automatically detect faults across panels, such as dust build-up, insect nests or bird droppings, any loose nuts or bolts, or wiring that could bring down a panel’s output.
The robot logs and stores every piece of data it captures; its sensors are able to find any fault a panel might have, stressed CSIRO’s Senior Robotics Engineer Ross Dungavell.
“We are not just collecting images or 3D data. We are building the foundations for intelligent solar operations, where data from robots, fixed sensors and field systems can be combined. This supports better proactive maintenance decisions and more resilient performance over time,” said CSIRO’s Senior Principal Research Scientist Dr. Peyman Moghadam.
With manual workers in short supply for work that requires standing under harsh conditions for extended periods of time, Dungavell added, “It’s good to fulfil a need in areas of the country where the labour is not attainable or reliably available.”
The agency said it is trialing robotic and AI systems across pilot sites in Australia to be able to partner with industry to make these more broadly available.
