Robot marine plastic pollution collector Hong Kong students invented offers a cheap solution to clear rubbish-choked coasts
- ClearBot, prize-winning, solar-powered, semi-submersible rubbish scooper developed by Hong Kong students, uses open-source software and is easy to build
- Team behind it hope to develop commercial models they can sell, while making US$900 ClearBot design available to coastal communities in poor countries
Thousands of tonnes of plastic rubbish drift in the seas of Asia, the region environmentalists cite as the biggest source of the petrochemical waste that chokes coastal waters and leaves beaches looking like rubbish dumps.
Clearing up the massive piles of refuse is a never-ending task, but a new invention developed by Hong Kong student engineers and scientists could help to make a difference.
They have developed a semi-submersible robotic marine rubbish collector, which they have named the ClearBot. It was awarded second prize at the Global Grand Challenges Summit in London in September. Now they want to put it to good use to help tackle the intractable problem of marine plastic waste worldwide.
“This is a very prestigious international competition so it’s quite an achievement,” says project supervisor Dr Hayden So Kwok-hay, associate professor in the department of electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The award-winning device consists of a simple metal frame containing a rubbish collection basket and PVC pipes to provide buoyancy. It is controlled like a remote-controlled boat, with two battery-powered thrusters.
