NREL Develops Super Efficient Robots That Build Better Solar Cells
Posted By Ariel Schwartz On March 24, 2010 @ 12:45 pm In green gadgets,Renewable Energy,Solar Power | No Comments
It might be time to welcome our robot overlords to the green tech revolution. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory [4] has developed a jukebox-like robot that can grow and analyze solar cells [5] in nearly record time. In just 35 minutes, one of NREL’s ‘bots can build a semi-conductor on a six inch square plate of flexible metal, glass, or plastic. And that’s not all — the robot can also measure light absorption, spot glitches, and prepare plates for production.
[6]
According to PhysOrg, the robot [7] “pivots and dishes like a point guard, sifts like a master chef, analyzes like a forensics expert and does it all while maintaining a vacuum seal on the entire process.” Essentially, one of NREL’s robots can perform the same functions as four or five solar labs.
In practical terms, this means that solar [8] companies can hook up their tools to a central NREL robot to see how their technology compares. NREL’s robots can also be used to quickly analyze the effect of different levels of heat, chemicals, and metals in a solar cell — so scientists can eventually build a “perfect” cell. And that means solar could become cost-competitive with fossil fuels sooner than we once thought.
+ NREL [4]
Via PhysOrg [9]
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[3] Email: mailto:?subject=http://inhabitat.com/nrel-develops-super-efficient-robots-that-build-better-solar-cells/
[4] National Renewable Energy Laboratory: http://www.nrel.gov/
[5] solar cells: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/11/ibm-releases-cheaper-40-more-efficient-thin-film-solar-cell/
[6] Image: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/24/nrel-develops-super-efficient-robots-that-build-better-solar-cells/pdil-robot-3/
[7] robot: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/07/09/real-life-wall-e-recycling-robot-takes-to-the-streets-of-italy/
[8] solar: http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/03/23/chevron-embraces-solar-technology-with-project-brightfield/
[9] PhysOrg: http://www.physorg.com/news188504969.html
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