New Electric Robot Can Clean Up Beach Litter
4oceanThe BeBot sifts through the top 10 centimeters, (about 4 inches), of sand to collect beach debris.
4ocean, which turns beach plastic into consumer products, recently unveiled an electric robot designed to automate beach clean ups.
The BeBot, created in partnership with marine technology company Poralu Marine, can traverse nearly 1,000 square feet of beach per hour on soar power. It picks up litter 20 to 30 times more efficiently than traditional beach clean ups, according to 4ocean. BeBot uses sand-sifting grids that can remove pieces of plastic and other debris that are as small as 1 square centimeter. These are often the pieces that are hardest to identify and pick up by hand.
“While traditional machines equipped with wheels were degrading the shoreline, BeBot has groundbreaking and unprecedented environmental assets,” says Claire Touvier, a member of the Environmental Solutions team from Poralu Marine, in a press release. “With a unique track system distributing equal and minimum pressure on the sand, BeBot reduces erosion.”
The bot can clean daily, makes minimal noise, has precision turning to avoid obstacles and can be remotely operated from up to 950 feet away. Only the top 10 centimeters of sand (about 4 inches) are sifted by the machine, meaning it can remove common debris while avoiding major habitat disruptions.
4oceanThe BeBot can be controlled from nearly 1,000 feet away.
“This innovative design also helps the preservation of biodiversity as it prevents the compression of turtles' eggs and any vegetal ecosystem in the sand,” Touvier says.
Since 2017, 4ocean has recovered over 16 million pounds of trash. It is on track to remove 20 million pounds of trash by the end of 2021, and its new technology will be instrumental in reaching this milestone.
"We are always searching for innovative technology to improve our cleanup capabilities and are thrilled to partner with Poralu Marine on introducing such an impactful piece of technology," Alex Schulze, 4ocean's co-founder and CEO, says in the release. "With the launch of the BeBot, we are able to work smarter and sustainably while recovering plastic that has already seen the ocean and preventing new plastic from ever getting there in the first place."
