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T3
T3
Technology
Matt Kollat

This roaming solar robot might be the strangest (and smartest) CES launch I’ve seen this year

Jackery Solar Mars Bot.

Alongside the more traditional power hardware, Jackery also announced what might be the most charming, and arguably most futuristic, CES launch in its lineup: the Solar Mars Bot, described as the world’s first autonomous solar robot.

It’s part concept, part product, but it underlines how Jackery sees energy capture evolving over the next decade.

A solar rover with a job to do

Rather than being bolted to a roof or propped up in a garden, this is a portable power station on wheels that drives itself around, tracks the sun, and recharges using its own retractable solar panels.

According to Jackery, the Mars Bot introduces AI-enhanced computer vision, allowing it to follow its user, navigate autonomously and reposition throughout the day to maximise sunlight exposure.

(Image credit: Jackery)

When not in use, the system automatically folds its 300W panels away, making it easier to store than a traditional, fixed-panel array.

Built as part of Jackery’s wider Solar Home Ecosystem, the Solar Mars Bot is designed to complement the brand’s home backup products rather than replace them.

Embedded panels capture power, store it onboard, then deliver it wherever it’s needed, whether that’s supplementing backup power during extended outages or providing electricity in areas where there are no outlets at all.

Human for scale (Image credit: Jackery)

Jackery frames it as a new product category altogether, sitting somewhere between a solar tracker, a backup battery and a household robot.

It uses modular LiFePO4 energy storage at 2kWh per module, supports AC, DC and USB outputs, and can travel at up to 1.8 m/s with obstacle avoidance and roughly 5cm of ground clearance.

Full-angle sun tracking with a 60-degree tilt helps it capture more light across the day, and Jackery suggests scenarios ranging from “home energy guardian” duties to outdoor leisure, inspection work and even rescue applications.

Looking beyond today’s power needs

Jackery also places the Mars Bot firmly in a more forward-looking context.

The company talks about powering everything from portable satellite internet like Starlink to future AI systems and personal robots, positioning the bot as a step toward mobile, self-sustaining power that actively seeks out energy rather than passively waiting for it.

Price and availability TBC. Head over to Jackery for more info.

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