The WasteShark is an aquadrone that removes plastics and other floating debris from the water surface. It was designed especially for use in ports and harbors. Shaped like a catamaran, WasteShark can collect up to 350 kg of trash at a time. The electrically propelled drone produces zero carbon emissions and is compact and agile. RanMarine Technology developed the design and prototype through a start-up accelerator program for port innovators in Rotterdam.
The algorithms supplied by DFKI will enable the drone to find it’s way back from the harbor basin to a docking station, where it can deposit the collected trash and re-charge it’s batteries.
- Dimension: 190 cm x 140 cm x 45 cm
- Weight: 39 kg unloaded
- Carrying capacity: 550 litres ~ 350kg
- Power source: battery
- Thrust: 5.1 kgf (forward), 4.1 kgf (reverse) @ 16V
- On-board sensors: camera, lidar (laser range finder), depth sounder, temperature sensor
- Water quality sensors (optional): pH, ORP, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, ammonium, chloride, nitrate, salinity, mV, ORP, TDS, Resistivity
- Capabilities: 16 hours a day waste collection and/or data collection & transmission
- Waste type: plastics, micro-plastics, alien vegetation (e.g. duckweed), floating debris
- Operation area: semi-confined water surfaces with ship traffic (e.g. ports, canals)
- Steering control: remote control (currently) or autonomous (future)