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A robot shark that gobbles up plastic waste has been released in the docklands of London, to clean the water by removing the equivalent of more than 22,700 plastic bottles per day, according to a developer.
The battery-powered electric catamaran, called the WasteShark, can travel up to five kilometers through the water before needing a recharge and collects up to 500 kilograms of plastic and other pollutants as it guides itself through the water.
“WasteShark is an underwater drone and is designed to sweep the surface of the water and collect waste, debris, biomass from the water and return it to land,” Richard Hardiman, CEO and founder of WasteShark’s manufacturer, RanMarine, told Reuters. when he watched one of the devices in the water at Canary Wharf.
The company says the WasteShark produces no carbon, noise or light pollution while traveling, and poses no threat to wildlife. It is designed to keep plastic waste out of the waterways and ensure that the plastic collected is recycled and reused.
“We have two versions: one that can be controlled remotely and one that is autonomous, similar to the vacuum cleaner you have at home,” Hardiman said.
“The idea is in an autonomous mode that acts as a drone. So it literally sweeps the water. You can go and do a job, come back and it has to be full, and you empty it and put it back. .”
The machine also collects data on water quality as it travels, sending back readings on turbidity, salinity, temperature, pH balance and water depth.
WasteSharks can be bought for around £20,000 ($33,400) or leased for around £1,000 ($1,670) per month.
Canary Wharf WasteShark is a partnership with Britvic-owned Aqua Libra.
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