By Dorrie Peters

It is common knowledge that trash in the ocean is a significant problem, but often the vast complexity of this emergency is overlooked. As many know, there is an ominous “trash island,” often referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, that floats between Japan and the west coast of the US. This “island” has a surface area three times larger than the entire nation of France, which is hard to imagine but painfully true. The scope of this catastrophe makes it nearly impossible to solve. Although there are machines and corporations that are adept at removing trash from the ocean, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is so massive and is increasing at such an alarming rate that all of these attempts barely make a dent. Human-operated machines simply cannot move quickly enough to keep up with the growing trash pile. However, on the horizon of emerging technology is a robot that might be up for the challenge.

What is a Clearbot?

Imagine a machine that removes the human variable entirely by using AI to pick up ocean trash. Several companies have thought of this concept, but the most prominent is Clearbot, a tech company specializing in robotics. Clearbot’s floating robots are completely independent machines that operate without human intervention. They run on solar power, which is always abundant in the open sea, and can collect up to one ton of garbage in a day. Most recent estimates claim that the weight of above-water ocean trash is roughly 269,000 tons, so a large fleet of these robots could quickly make a significant improvement to this monumental crisis (Oliveira & Parker). 

Mechanics of a Clearbot

Each Clearbot robot is equipped with a camera to spot trash and marine life. In order to minimize intrusion on marine life, software will direct the robot away from any living organism. After trash is located, the robot will approach it and engulf it into a mesh storage tank using a conveyor belt system. At the end of each trash-collecting mission, the robot deposits its collection into a sorting area, where the trash will be categorized and hopefully recycled. The robots come in various sizes and models to accommodate different aquatic conditions. For example, the smaller model is more adept at traversing canals while the bigger models are more effective in large, open-water spaces. 

Figure 1

Modeled image of the most recent Clearbot Design

Source: Intelligent Living

Machine Learning

Another redeeming feature of the Clearbot is its ability to gather data and assist in policy-making. Using additional internal cameras, the robot will scan all trash items that enter through its conveyor belt. The data collected about the types and frequencies of trash in the ocean can be used in both technology and politics. Knowing more about the specific garbage that is often found in the ocean will help future models of Clearbot and other similar robots to be more efficient. Additionally, this data will help develop new policies regarding trash regulation for businesses and nations alike. In the long term, policy change is vital because picking up the trash does not address the source of the problem. Over 800 million tons of garbage are dumped into the ocean each year, so even if robots like Clearbot manage to remove all of it, there is always destined to be more. Trash collection can alleviate the symptoms of the problem, but policies and regulations will solve the root of it. 

Past Methods of Ocean Clean-up

In deciding whether to implement robots like Clearbot on a global scale, it is vital to first compare them to current methods of ocean clean-up. One of the most popular forms of marine trash removal is the trash skimmer, a human-led boat with qualities similar to a Clearbot. Although a trash skimmer can be produced at a larger size, it still has a long list of downsides. 

One big issue with skimmers is that they require humans to operate. Locating trash and maneuvering the vehicle must be done completely manually. Because of this, there are limits on both the total time a trash skimmer can be used per day and the space available for trash storage. With humans on board, skimmers must allocate room to stand, walk, and rest, taking away from the volume used to store trash. Additionally, trash skimmers use fossil fuels for power. Unlike the Clearbot, which runs solely on solar power and emits no carbon footprint, most trash skimmers run with a typical boat engine. In addition to having a negative impact on air pollution, this kind of engine is known to be disruptive to marine habitats.

Figure 2

Trash Skimmer that Requires Humans and Fossil Fuels to Run

Source: Shutterstock

Conclusion

Examining their efficiency, environmental impact, and data-based qualities, it is evident that robots have extreme potential in ocean clean-up. While Clearbots have yet to be implemented on a large scale,  the company has plans to launch an entire fleet in 2022. Keep in mind, Clearbot is far from the only robot with these capabilities. Upcoming tech brands like WasteShark, Jellyfishbot, and FRED (Floating Robot for Eliminating Debris) are all undertaking similar missions (Francis). With their combined effort, it is promising that the crisis of ocean pollution may one day be resolved.

References and Sources

(n.d.). Clearbot | Hong Kong. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.clearbot.org/

Francis, S. (2020, June 15). 5 ways robots are cleaning up the world’s oceans. Robotics & Automation News. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2020/06/15/5-ways-robots-are-being-used-to-clean-up-the-worlds-oceans/33050/

Oliveira, P., & Parker, L. (2015, January 11). Ocean Trash: 5.25 Trillion Pieces and Counting, but Big Questions Remain. National Geographic Society. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/ocean-trash-525-trillion-pieces-and-counting-big-questions-remain/

Steffen, A. D. (n.d.). Razer Partners With Clearbot To Improve How We Clean The Ocean. Intelligent Living. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.intelligentliving.co/razer-clearbot-clean-the-ocean/