Bebot: Solar Power Assisted Beach Cleaning Robot

This solar-assisted remote-controlled sand sifting robot may play a small part in helping to keep beaches clean.

When I moved from a small coastal town with generally clean beaches to a major city as a teen back in the 1980’s, I remember my first trip to the local beach. It was early in the morning and rumbling over the beach was a large diesel-powered machine sifting the sand. I’d never seen such a thing – it was a bit of a shock.

These days, I’m involved in the weekly cleanup of 2km of relatively isolated beach. While litter dropped on the beach during the winter months is minimal, the sea brings it in from elsewhere – plastic bottles, balloons and more regularly now; facemasks¹. While the surface stuff gets picked up, we miss what can’t be seen.

The stuff that can’t be seen just below the sand’s surface can still be problematic – for example, shards of glass and plastic.

Estimates vary wildly, but according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at least 8 million tons of plastic winds up in our oceans every year, and comprises 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.

Among the impacts to marine life are injury or death through entanglement and starvation following ingestion. A 2015 study by Australian and UK researchers predicted plastic will be found in the digestive tracts of 99% of all seabird species by 2050 and that 95% of the individuals within these species will have ingested plastic by the same year.

4Ocean Tackling Marine Waste Crisis

US Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp. 4Ocean engages in recovering plastic and other harmful marine debris from the ocean and coastlines at home and abroad – and then uses the plastic collected to create new stuff.

It could be argued that some of the products it sells such as bracelets are really just more junk; but it also produces functional items such clothing, footwear, utensils, cups and bottles. Each product purchase also finances the removal of another pound of plastic waste. To date, 16,332,595 pounds of trash have been collected by 4Ocean operations (around 7,400 tonnes).

The company uses “boots, boats, booms and brains” in its mission, and on the latter it is researching, building, and investing in technology and other solutions to plastic pollution on an ongoing basis.

One of its latest projects is a trial of BeBot, manufactured by Poralu Marine. BeBot is a small beach cleaning robot that mechanically sifts sand to remove plastic waste and other debris.

Unlike the noisy, emissions spewing beast I first saw back in the 80’s, the BeBot is silent and emissions free² as it’s electric. Charging of the BeBot’s two 12 volt batteries is assisted by a solar panel on top of the sifter mechanism – specs and runtime weren’t mentioned.

The BeBot can clean up to 3,000m2 of beach per hour depending on topography. While it can’t cover as much area as the bigger fossil-fuel powered machines, it has been designed with beachfront tourist resorts and restaurants in mind.

Remote controlled and with a range of 300m, the BeBot can operates at depths of up to 10cm and is able to collect debris as small as 1cm2.

In addition to its sand sifting task, removing the sifter section reveals a hitch for towing (~400kg towing capacity). Other attachments available include a rake for moving seaweed and algae, and levelling sand.

BeBot is an interesting solar power-assisted device that perhaps could evolve into something bigger, better, faster, stronger and smarter. For example, making it autonomous could reduce operating costs significantly.

What would be even better is if folks stopped the irresponsible dumping of trash – and education is another pillar of 4Ocean’s operations.