After recognizing a lack of access to clean water in their local areas, a team in IEEE CEC SIGHT for Chengannur College of Engineering in Chengannur, India collaborated with Pamba Punarjani and National Service Scheme College Of Engineering Chengannur to create a water surface cleaning robot. With this robot, the team hopes to promote sustainable living and ensure cleaner water for those who do not have access to it.
The cleaning robot is designed to maintain and improve water quality by collecting waste that floats on the surface. It has a fixed path, a circuit charted to ensure the best path to gather garbage and small plants. The device uses solar energy for power.
The robot uses Raspberry Pi technology, an advanced vision system, path-finding algorithms, and an obstacle avoidance system. It can pick up weeds, plastic bottles, vacuum cleaner parts, and more.
Solar panels power the robot, while a battery allows for continuous use without natural light. Backups ensure operation in failure. When the garbage is collected, it goes to a bin with smart sensors that trigger automatic disposal in waste collection bins when full.
The project is remotely operated and has fail safes should something go wrong. A team of students will guide and maintain project functions.
This project was made possible by a $5,185.05 grant from EPICS in IEEE.