| project specification

WasteShark

An autonomous catamaran to remove floating plastic debris in ports and harbors. 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.

adaptive control - autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) - environmental monitoring - hazardous environments - telerobotics

Overview

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)