Portable photovoltaic systems are great for generating electricity while off the grid, but constantly moving them to keep them in the sunlight can be a hassle. Jackery's Solar Generator Mars Bot offers a solution to that problem, as it moves itself.
Currently making its public debut as a concept product at CES 2024, the bot was recently the recipient of a Time magazine Best Inventions of 2023 Award. It was inspired by NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, hence its name.
The four-wheeled robot features an impact-resistant, waterproof, dust-proof aluminum alloy body, along with an array of 600W fold-out solar panels that boast a claimed 25% maximum solar conversion efficiency. Energy is stored in an onboard 5-kWh lithium battery, and can be utilized via ports located on one side.
Using a light sensing/tracking system, the solar panel array tilts and pans relative to the Mars Bot's body in order to keep receiving the maximum amount of sunlight. That said, the robot itself also moves across the ground as the sun moves across the sky, staying out of the shadows and positioning itself for optimum light exposure – so yes, it does use a bit of the electricity that it generates.
Jackery tells us that the Solar Generator Mars Bot avoids obstacles via an AI-based intelligent movement system, and that a geofencing system is in the works, to keep the robot from wandering too far away from its user. Its other features are outlined in the video below.
Source: Jackery