Oceans choking with plastic waste. Can water robots help mitigate the effect?
Pollution in rivers, lakes and oceans is not a new problem. The water bodies across the world are grappling with the increasing amount of plastic waste found on their surfaces, affecting both marine life and humans in one way or the other. The developing countries are often at the receiving end of such issues, but the plastic problem has affected the developed countries alike.
Plastic waste is not the only thing causing water pollution. Instead, there are tonnes of heavy wastes present on the floor of oceans and other water bodies. Several patches of floating plastic and other waste materials are also present in various oceans across the globe. While some are not threatening, many of them are quite large and can be seen through satellite imagery as well.
These patches of garbage cannot be cleaned up through traditional methods. This is where water robots are making their presence felt, as they can perform the task rather easily, while operating independently. They end up cleaning the plastic patches quickly with better efficiency, saving a lot of money and time.
One of the most successful water robots going around – WasteShark, developed by RanMarine technology, is capable of cleaning up to 200 litres of ocean waste in one go. The product is inspired by whale sharks, as it sails through the seas with its mouth wide open, collecting garbage at a rapid pace. It doesn’t pose any threat to marine life either and moves very gently through the waters.
WasteShark is unlike other water drones as it goes one step ahead of collecting the trash to clean up waterways by gathering data about water quality, besides providing insights into how fast plastic is degrading in the seas. It is designed to be used both manually and independently with online control and access. WasteShark is one of the most efficient products of RanMarine, which is renowned for fostering the growth of green solutions.
The Netherlands-based start-up RanMarine was able to attract investment from Luxembourg-based Boundary Holding, led by Rajat Khare, after showcasing its capability to offer holistic solutions to complex problems through its innovative product range. Nowadays, the company is utilizing the funds on the R&D of upcoming products, data and customer portal, while expanding the team and business development for robust growth.
The introduction of water robots has certainly made it easier to combat the growing problem of water pollution. However, there is a long way to go, as the technology is capable of evolving further to pave the way for clean water bodies in the coming years.