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Solar-powered robotic parasol tracks sun, monitors UV levels

Monday, September 04, 2017 - 01:49

The world's first autonomous robotic sun shade will track the sun all day long and light your garden in the evening. Stuart McDill reports.

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Chilling out just got even more relaxing with the help of Sunflower The solar-powered robotic parasol that autonomously tracks the sun - charging itself at the same time along with a whole host of other functions (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMEN GHARABEGIAN, FOUNDER/CEO OF SHADECRAFT "Sunflower tracks the sun for optimal solar energy retention, it transfers that to a whole series of attributes. For example, you can charge your phone outdoors, you can charge your computer. Furthermore, it takes that and has an AI unit internally, it's also connected to the Cloud so you can literally speak to it and say 'play my music' with the on-board speaker, you can control its lighting outdoor in the evening. So it basically eases a lot of functions outdoors." Four solar panels provide the Sunflower's power - with only 30 percent needed to run it and batteries storing 72 hours worth of power for cloudy days. Weather-monitoring sensors also keep tabs on inclement conditions and will automatically retract the umbrella if the wind gets too strong Environmental sensors also provide real-time health warnings to users, including air quality and UV levels. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARMEN GHARABEGIAN, FOUNDER/CEO OF SHADECRAFT "It'll know how long you've been in the sun, it'll recommend what days you should be there (in the sun) with on-board sensors; analysing UV, analysing a whole slew of different weather conditions." You might not have realised you needed to talk to your sun shade or ask it to control your home eco or security systems - but you'll be able to when shipments start in the second half of next year Although Shadecraft say they are yet to decide how much it will cost you

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Solar-powered robotic parasol tracks sun, monitors UV levels

Monday, September 04, 2017 - 01:49