5x innovative robots with a unique (sustainable) range of tasks
By: Change Inc
There is no doubt that robots have made our lives easier. In recent years we have seen that they are increasingly being used to make the world a bit more sustainable. That is why today – from large to small – five innovative robots with a unique range of tasks.
Self-propelled tractors
The company AgXeed develops self-propelled tractors for the agricultural sector. The tractors are lightweight, which means less stress on the soil. And that benefits the yield and quality of crops. In addition, a self-propelled tractor naturally saves the farmer a lot of time. There are now three types of AgXeed tractors on the road in the Netherlands, France, Australia and Canada.
Cleaning robots for windmills
Robotics startup Aerones raked in nearly $40 million at the beginning of this year to scale up a special innovation. These are robots that inspect wind turbines and scrub them clean, so that people no longer have to do that. And that is important work, because wind turbines can leak oil. This can cause corrosion of the blades and mast. A dangerous job that we had better outsource.
Mini drones on the hunt for insects
Insects can pose a major threat to the cultivation of crops and flowers in greenhouses. That is why a Dutch start-up came up with a spectacular solution. A TU Delft spin-off has developed a system that can detect and pulverize malicious insects in greenhouses. If the insect is labeled as 'peace-loving' by the algorithm, then there is nothing to worry about. But if the system identifies the insect as a potential pest, something special kicks in…
Fairy-like pollinators
More and more scientists are working on miniscule robots that move with external stimuli, such as light. The Finnish project FAIRY (an incorrect abbreviation of: Flying Aero-robots based on Light Responsive Materials Assembly) aims to deliver a fairy-like robot (weight: 1.2 milligrams) that moves on the wind and can be powered by a light source, such as a laser beam or LED. These kinds of robots can play an important role in the future of artificial pollination.
Nano mining robots
The competition for the smallest robot on this list is won by a long shot by the nano-robots of the American start-up Aether. The company is able to modify enzymes with technology and make them work for them. The small machines can be used to filter lithium from soil mixtures. As a result, they can be used in places that were previously not suitable for mining the scarce metal, such as old oil fields.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90939149/this-startup-developed-a-cheaper-greener-way-to-extract-lithium-for-ev-batteries
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Robots can be the key to combating climate change and helping companies to reduce their emissions.