Novel cable-driven robot for cleaning solar panels

Solar energy is a leading renewable source, but panel efficiency is reduced by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation, as well as non-environmental factors like dust, pollution, and bird droppings. These issues lower energy output, requiring regular cleaning. Current methods are labor-intensive, water- and energy-demanding, and lack automation. This article introduces a robotic cleaning device based on a Cable-Driven Parallel Robot. Its platform covers the entire panel length using cable loops for movement and cleaning. Equipped with a car windscreen wiper, the system is validated through kinetostatic modeling, prototyping, and computer vision.