We’ve got stories about emissions-sniffing drones, the new Formula E race car, Volvo’s carbon neutral engine plant, a dual-motor AWD Tesla Model 3, Shell’s investment in solar, lower-carbon aluminum production, Indian solar news, DIY shaving cream, natural hangover remedies, and more in today’s cleantech news roundup.
BioCarbon Engineering, an ecosystem restoration company.has developed a 30-pound unmanned aerial vehicle nicknamed “Robin.” It can fly over the most rugged landscapes on earth, planting trees in precise locations at the rate of 120 per minute.
To have a drone infrastructure work in real life, electricity supply must be stable, and wireless communication must be very reliable. But that is becoming the norm many places on Earth earlier classified as off-grid.
One important role drones could play would be to act as ambulances bypassing traffic jams where injured people can linger and eventually pass away stuck bumper to bumper.
The government of Portugal is now planning to introduce “free zones” in certain parts of the country where self-driving vehicle and drone tech can be deployed and tested more easily through the use of special regulations and investment incentives, Portugal’s industry secretary has revealed.
Step in Amazon, with an alternative and potentially revolutionary solution — charging by drones, on the move. Earlier this month the company was granted a patent for this very thing.
A new self-driving van concept was recently unveiled by Ford that’s intended to function as a hub for autonomous delivery drones. The concept is a bit fanciful, but I suppose that’s the case with many concept vehicles.
Designing new solar farms has gone hi-tech. It now uses drones to map the area and advanced computer modeling to orient the solar panels correctly and squeeze as many of them as possible into the available space.
There’s probably no reasonable-sounding way to start this article off, so I’ll just begin by asking the question: Are maintenance workers in China using flamethrower-equipped drones to clean power lines?
Drones and robots are being used more regularly to help build and maintain solar installations. SunPower is one of the leaders in using this new technology. It is about to begin construction of its new “Oasis” power plants in North America and China.
