Meet the Palestinian robot that cleans solar panels

24-year-old Palestinian engineer Muslim Abd al-Latif al-Barghouthi has cracked into new scientific dimensions by inventing a robot that could clean solar panel cells without the need for any form of human intervention. 

Al-Barghouthi, who is a former student at Palestine’s Birzeit University told The New Arab that he graduated last week and completed his degree over the course of seven years.

He was delayed in graduating because he was arrested three times by the Israeli forces.

He believe his invention has great potential but it also needs to be developed further.

“My product needs to be supported and developed further. This is more than a display of an innovation in the academic field and indeed has commercial potential”, he said.

He has called on the scientific community to embrace his robot as a product that will soon be in demand because of the steady increase in the use of solar panels.

One of the biggest problems current users of solar panels face their inability to clean them properly. Dust accumulation is one of the main reasons behind the deterioration of solar panels over time, because the presence of dust hinders light from entering the cells and generating electricity.

Palestinians have a reputation for their innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives.

Having to face challenges of occupation and besiegement, Palestinians resort to innovation to supplement their basic life necessities.

High unemployment in the West Bank has also led to Palestinians utilizing their imagination for entrepreneurial purposes.