test

Tag: aqua-drone

RanMarine Showcases Innovative Solutions at 2024 Dutch Blue Flag Awards

[IJSSELSTEIN, May 20th, 2024] – RanMarine proudly displayed its latest innovations at the prestigious 2024 Blue Flag Awards, held at the picturesque Jachthaven Marnemoende harbour. The event provided an ideal backdrop to present RanMarine’s electric-powered vessels, designed for cleaning and collecting floating waste from water and offered a sneak peek of the upcoming MegaShark multi-platform product.

The Blue Flag Awards ceremony, hosted jointly by the harbour and the Municipality of IJsselstein, honoured excellence in environmental sustainability, recognising outstanding efforts in maintaining clean and safe beaches and marinas. This year, a record-breaking 200 Blue Flags were awarded to various locations across the Netherlands, including 143 marinas, 50 beaches, and 7 inland beaches.

RanMarine’s participation reiterated its commitment to providing cutting-edge technological solutions that enhance water cleanliness and preserve natural aquatic environments. “We are privileged to have had the opportunity to present our technologies at the 2024 Blue Flag Awards, showcasing our dedication to sustainability and clean water initiatives,” said Bart de Vries, Chief Operating Officer at RanMarine. “Our range of electric-powered vessels, our ability to monitor water quality data via various sensor arrays, and the MegaShark preview epitomise RanMarine’s commitment to innovating environmental stewardship. The agile and fully autonomous WasteShark is tailored for marinas and harbours, while our latest addition, the MegaShark, offers both seated onboard operation and remote control steering for tackling larger tasks.”

MegaShark generated considerable interest and discussions with harbour masters and attendees focused on expanding its deployment applications to match client needs and create a healthier aquatic environment. RanMarine welcomes these inputs, enhancing the company’s ability to build better platforms.

Erik van Dijk, national coordinator of Blue Flag Netherlands, emphasised the importance of sustainable practices: “The Blue Flag has been flying in the Netherlands since the late 1980s. In 2009, we had 100; now, 15 years later, we’ve doubled that. This growth reflects the hard work of marinas and beach municipalities to meet our criteria. Sustainable practices are increasingly important. The addition of 13 new marinas shows a commitment to high-quality services, and RanMarine’s technology is well-suited to support these efforts.”

The event marked the next significant milestone in RanMarine’s journey towards advancing water cleanliness and sustainability efforts. The company remains steadfast in its mission to provide efficient and eco-friendly solutions for cleaner waterbodies and waterways.

**About RanMarine:**

RanMarine is a leading provider of electric-powered vessels designed for water cleaning and environmental sustainability. Focused on innovation and technology, RanMarine aims to revolutionise water-cleaning solutions for a cleaner and healthier planet.

Active in over 25 countries, RanMarine’s autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) efficiently remove floating waste and algae from waterways. Their clients include Walt Disney, Hudson River Park, PortsToronto, Babcock Marine Naval Bases UK, and Port of Houston. The WasteShark ASV can operate both autonomously and manually, while the MegaShark ASV, offering five times the capacity, will launch in mid-2024 and support onboard operation. The OilShark ASV, designed for rapid and agile deployment in capturing mid-scale hydrocarbon residues, is expected to be available by the end of 2024.

RanMarine’s ASVs can be equipped with over 15 sensors for customised data collection, offer quick deployment, and reduce costs by up to 80% compared to traditional methods. All mission and water quality data are stored and accessible through the RanMarine Connect portal.

For more information, visit:

Website: www.ranmarine.io
Facebook: @RanMarineTechnology
Instagram: @ranmarinetechnology
X/Twitter: @RanMarineTech
LinkedIn: @ranmarine

**About KMVK (Keurmerk Milieu, Veiligheid en Kwaliteit):**

The Blue Flag is a prestigious international award given annually to beaches and marinas that meet stringent environmental management, safety, water quality, education, and waste management criteria. In the Netherlands, this is managed by the Stichting KMVK.
For more information about the objectives and the beaches and marinas with a Blue Flag, please visit www.blauwevlag.nl

Smart Cities Embrace Autonomous Surface Vessels for Waterway Clean-up

Axis Global Comms – United Arab Emirates

Dubai city lights on water at night

Image: Dubai, UAE

Across the globe, urban centers designated as “smart cities” are increasingly turning to cutting-edge technologies to address the complex challenges of urban waterway management. Among the most promising innovations is the Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV), a robotic solution poised to revolutionize how cities maintain the health and cleanliness of their canals, rivers, harbors, and other aquatic environments.

ASVs represent a significant leap forward from traditional waterway maintenance methods, which are often costly, labor-intensive, and environmentally disruptive. These vessels are designed to autonomously navigate urban waterways, removing floating debris, controlling unwanted biomass, and contributing to the overall aesthetic appeal of the cityscape. Their compact size and remarkable maneuverability allow them to access areas that are difficult or impossible for larger boats or manual cleaning crews to reach, such as narrow canals, under bridges, and around moored vessels.

Beyond their impressive cleaning capabilities, ASVs offer a wide range of potential benefits for smart city initiatives. One of the most exciting possibilities is their capacity to serve as mobile platforms for environmental monitoring. Equipped with a suite of sensors, these vessels could collect valuable data on water quality parameters such as temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen. This information would provide city managers and environmental agencies with a more comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the health of their waterways, enabling them to make more informed decisions about pollution control, resource management, and infrastructure investments.

The likely ability to gather detailed water quality information using ASVs represents a significant step forward in urban environmental management. This potential for data collection aligns perfectly with the smart city ethos of leveraging technology to improve decision-making and optimize resource allocation.

In addition to their environmental and data-gathering benefits, ASVs offer economic advantages for cities. Their autonomous operation reduces the need for human labor, leading to lower operating costs and greater efficiency. ASVs can operate near continuously, well beyond the standard 9-to-five model, allowing for consistent waterway maintenance without the constraints of traditional work schedules. This continuous operation can be particularly valuable in cities with busy waterways that require constant attention.

Image: WasteShark in Delft canals, the Netherlands

Furthermore, the use of ASVs can enhance the image of a city as a forward-thinking and environmentally responsible destination. Clean, healthy waterways contribute to the overall quality of life for residents and visitors alike, boosting tourism, property values, and civic pride. By investing in ASV technology, smart cities can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and innovation, attracting businesses, talent, and investment.

The adoption of ASVs is still in its initial stages, but the potential benefits are clear. As technology advances and cities continue to embrace the smart city model, ASVs are likely to play an increasingly important role in urban waterway management. These robotic vessels represent a promising solution for creating cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments for generations to come.

As cities grapple with the challenges of urbanization, climate change, and environmental degradation, the need for innovative solutions has never been greater. ASVs offer a unique combination of environmental, economic, and social benefits, making them a valuable asset for any smart city seeking to improve the health and sustainability of its waterways. These vessels are not just cleaning up trash; they are helping to build a brighter, more sustainable future for urban communities around the world.

5 uses for drones including Ocean clean-up efforts

When equipped with advanced sensors and imaging technologies, unmanned aerial systems – most commonly called drones – can provide crucial insights for waste and recycling facilities. While drones can aid in tasks such as site surveys and material volume estimation for recyclers, their role also extends beyond facility walls to help identify illegal dumpsites, map ocean waste, and more. This transformative technology not only streamlines processes within the recycling and waste management sectors, but also fosters cleaner environments and greener practices overall. 

Other benefits of drones also include improved worker safety and increased labour savings. By using drones in place of human workers, operating expenses can be significantly reduced, resulting in more cost-effective operations. Drones have the added advantage of being able to navigate and collect data from areas that are usually hazardous or out of reach to humans, eliminating the need for human workers to access these sites.

While still considered an emerging technology in some applications, embracing drones contributes significantly to the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of recycling operations. Read on to find out five ways that drones are gaining traction as a key piece of technology in recycling and waste management applications.

Site mapping

While drones play a part in all kinds of recycling applications, they’ve found a particularly important role in scrapyards. Drones can quickly survey large areas, utilizing remote sensing and advanced imaging technologies to identify metal types, quantities, and their precise locations. The aerial perspectives offered by drones are instrumental in mapping scrapyards, assisting in inventory management, optimizing layout planning, and enhancing overall productivity.

On the waste management front, landfills also see significant benefits from the utilization of drones as the high-resolution aerial images are valuable for mapping landfill sites and calculating landfill capacity. Equipped with advanced technology such as LiDAR, drones can create detailed 3D maps of facilities, providing insights into the layout, volume, and best utilization of space within the landfill. 

Monitoring methane emissions

Since methane is both colourless and odourless to humans, drones are being equipped with thermal cameras and deployed at waste facilities to monitor methane emissions from a safe distance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates that landfills address methane concentrations over 500 parts per million and has recently approved the first drone for methane emissions monitoring. The SnifferDRONE by Sniffer Robotics collects air samples through a nozzle, pumps them to an onboard detector, measures the methane concentration, and reports leak source locations – including GPS coordinates – with 90 percent accuracy.

There have also been increased drone initiatives in Canada, with the government recently providing the Comox Valley Regional District in British Columbia with $51,000 to use drones for methane monitoring. The goal of this effort is to assist landfill workers in assessing the effectiveness of the technology, determine the advantages and challenges in the adoption of drones, and offer practical examples of how they can be integrated into existing operations.

Illegal dumping enforcement

Already used in Dublin, Ireland, and multiple cities across the UK, more and law enforcement agencies are deploying drones equipped with cameras to surveil areas prone to illegal dumping. Drones bolster enforcement efforts by providing efficient evidence collection and thorough documentation of violations that are vital for investigations, while also acting as a general deterrent through their presence alone.

Beyond documentation, drones provide a cost-effective surveillance solution by covering expansive or hard-to-reach areas with minimal human labour requirements. Data gathered by drones also enables law enforcement to track dumping patterns and stay ahead of them.

Drones equipped with thermal cameras can monitor methane emissions from a safe distance.

Fire prevention

When equipped with thermal cameras, drones can identify hot spots that may indicate potential fire hazards. The real-time monitoring provided by drones also allows for the quick detection of signs of fire, enabling proactive measures to be taken.

One of the most effective examples of this technology is in Australia, where a fire prevention program targeting high-risk recycling and waste facilities was launched in 2021. As part of this, drones equipped with thermal imaging technology conduct random flyovers during the summer months to check for hot spots and ensure waste piles are being properly managed. Between November 2022 and October 2023, the officers carried out 380 fire prevention inspections at waste and recovery facilities, fining five facilities and issuing 117 remedial notices and four official warnings.

Ocean clean-up efforts

With plastic pollution affecting oceans and shorelines worldwide, there’s a lot of ground to cover – too much to cover on foot. By combining the power of drones with artificial intelligence, organizations are leveraging these tools to combat waste and pollution in the environment. One of these initiatives, the Plastic Tide, is a volunteer-based project that uses drone imagery of coastlines to train its AI algorithm to identify and map plastic debris. To improve the algorithm’s accuracy, a steady stream of drone images is needed to help distinguish between plastic and other coastal life. This has resulted in a database of over 7,000 images which allows others to develop strategies for tackling these hot spots and tailor their clean-up processes accordingly. The organization hopes that one day the database can be used to guide autonomous recovery vehicles as well.

Another key player in drone-based water cleanup efforts is the WasteShark by RanMarine, an aquatic drone that captures garbage in waterways and brings it back to land. The drones can hold 160 litres of materials and are equipped to autonomously navigate through rivers, harbours, and canals, collecting floating debris and waste as they move. Integrated LiDAR technology enhances safety and avoids collisions. 

This convergence of drones and advanced technology represents a powerful force in the ongoing battle against plastic pollution, allowing for collaboration between humans, drones, and AI for a more sustainable future.

Barriers to adoption

While a hugely beneficial tool, the adoption of drones in recycling and waste management operations faces several interconnected challenges. Regulatory compliance, such as airspace restrictions and privacy concerns, represents a significant hurdle, complicating widespread adoption. The initial costs associated with buying drones, sensors, and software are barriers as well, especially for smaller facilities with limited budgets. 

Despite these challenges, the future of drones holds promise as advancements in technology, regulations, and overall public perception continue to evolve. Overcoming these barriers requires a coordinated effort between regulatory bodies, industry stakeholders, and technology developers to improve the overall chances of incorporating drones into recycling and waste management practices.

<Original article published https://www.recyclingproductnews.com/article/41556/5-uses-for-drones-in-recycling-and-waste-management >

PortsToronto Network Remove 43kg and Nearly 63,000 Small Pieces of Plastic Pollution from Toronto Harbour in 2023

Toronto (February 26, 2024) – PortsToronto and the University of Toronto Trash Team are
proud today to release the official results of the 2023 Trash Trapping Program’s research
season. From May through October 2023, PortsToronto’s network of trash traps, which includes
eight Seabins and two WasteSharks, removed 43kg of litter, including 62,996 pieces of small
plastic pollution from the Toronto Harbour. This includes items such as plastic pellets, pieces of
foam from food containers, plastic bottle caps, cigarette butts and fatbergs (*see description
below).

2023 Results and Findings
Tiny debris, including microplastics (items smaller than five-millimetres) remain by far the most
common items by count collected by Seabins. Plastic items in the environment eventually break down into microplastics (often irregularly shaped small fragments), which can make it difficult to determine their origins. This year, using the same methodology, the research team has begun to see signs of a decrease in the amount of microplastics collected in PortsToronto Seabins, which could suggest the benefits of additional outreach and education efforts toward waste reduction.
WasteSharks, which are equipped with a large catch basin, captured mostly large plastic
fragments – including large pieces of foam from construction and food containers, hard plastic
fragments, as well as plastic water bottles, caps, cups, lids and straws. Data also revealed that
fatbergs were within the top ten most commonly found items in both the Seabins and the
WasteSharks. *These rock-like masses are formed by the combination of fat, grease and
wastewater materials, including wet wipes and diapers, that are released with wastewater
redirected to the lake during heavy rainfall.
In August 2023, PortsToronto launched a pilot program with two RanMarine Technology-supplied WasteShark aquadrones. This pilot program represented a Canadian first for these innovative trash traps, which are remotely operated and skim the surface of the water to collect floating debris. Over the course of only three expeditions in October 2023, the Toronto WasteSharks “Ebb and Flow” collected 19.2 kilograms of floating trash, including nearly 600 pieces of microplastics. With a larger capacity and remote controlled agility, the Toronto WasteSharks are able to collect a higher volume of debris in a shorter period, collecting nearly the same amount as all the Seabins combined over the entire field season. These can also be piloted into problem areas such as the corners of slips where we know that debris and other material can accumulate.

Background of Program
Since 2019, PortsToronto and the University of Toronto Trash Team have collaborated on the
Trash Trapping Program, which employs trash trapping technology and solutions-based
research to tackle floating debris in the Toronto Harbour. Through this program, researchers
measure and analyse the debris and plastic pollution collected by trash traps in order to track
trends in floating debris, determine the source of the material and use data to identify upstream solutions. This data and key findings and shared in order to raise awareness and encourage behavioural and policy change that could help reduce and prevent floating debris in Toronto’s Harbour. To view detailed data, results and mitigation strategies identified during the 2023 research season, please consult the U of T Trash Team’s website.
The PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program is part of the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables
Strategy (Floatables Strategy), which is a collaborative strategy with a mission to reduce plastic
pollution and other floating litter in the harbour. The Floatables Strategy incorporates additional methods of and locations for capturing floating debris, including storm drains. Further detail and waste characterization results can be found here.
Follow along with us on social media @PortsToronto and @Toronto_Sharks, and view a video
summary of our 2023 Trash Trapping Program season, here.

Quotes
“Floating debris and plastic pollution in the water is not a problem unique to Toronto. We know that this is an issue prevalent in urban waterways around the world. What is unique about Toronto is that we have a coalition of like-minded organizations that have come together to find innovative solutions that leverage new technology and local research and trades to help make a difference,” says RJ Steenstra, President and CEO of PortsToronto. “Thank you to all partners who have contributed to the Trash Trapping Program’s progress thus far. We look forward to continuing this important work for years to come.”
“Our collaboration with PortsToronto is invaluable,” said Dr. Chelsea Rochman, Head of
Operations at the U of T Trash Team. “Together, we make a huge impact in our community. We
clean the inner harbour. We collect data to inform upstream solutions. We increase waste
literacy among the public. And, we provide summer jobs to many students that provide training in science and application.”

Fast Facts
 Researchers estimate that 10,000 metric tonnes of waste enter the Great Lakes each
year, much of it plastic.
 A common occurrence in urban waterways, floating debris comes from a variety of
sources – including overflowing or windblown trash bins at the water’s edge, storm water
runoff and industry.
 Anthropogenic (originating from human activity) debris, and microplastics in particular
can harm wildlife and contaminate drinking water, and negatively impact public
enjoyment of cherished shared water resources.

 Since the Trash Trapping Program’s launch in summer 2019, Seabins in the
PortsToronto network have removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of plastic debris
from the Toronto Harbour, moving the needle toward cleaner water in Lake Ontario.
 PortsToronto Seabins are deployed at four locations on the Toronto waterfront and at
the Outer Harbour Marina (4).
 In 2023, PortsToronto launched a pilot program with two WasteShark aquadrones,
known as the Toronto WasteSharks, Ebb and Flow.
 The WasteShark aquadrone is designed to skim the surface of the water to collect
floating debris and waste from the aquatic environment.

About PortsToronto
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed approximately 2.8 million passengers in 2019; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada’s largest freshwater marinas; and, Marine Terminal 52, which provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $14 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto’s waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.


About The University of Toronto Trash Team
The U of T Trash Team, co-founded in 2017, is a science-based community outreach
organization made up of undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, researchers, local
volunteers and staff all working together with a common goal to increase waste literacy in our
community while reducing plastic pollution in our ecosystems. Their local projects
use research to inform policy and management, and education and community outreach to
increase waste literacy, engage the public and implement effective solutions. Their ultimate goal is to inspire an assortment of solutions resulting in the global reduction of waste and healthier habitats for wildlife and people.


About the PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program

The PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program employs trash trapping technology and solutions-
based research to tackle plastic pollution and protect Toronto’s waters for future generations.

Since 2019, the Trash Trapping Program has removed hundreds of thousands of small pieces
of plastic pollution from the Toronto Harbour. It is led by PortsToronto and the U of T Trash
Team, in partnership with Swim Drink Fish, the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (WBIA)
and the City of Toronto BIA Office Innovation Grant, Nieuport Aviation, the Toronto Zoo,
Harbourfront Centre, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). It is part of the
Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy, a partnership led by TRCA, and of the International
Trash Trapping Network, an initiative led by the U of T Trash Team and Ocean Conservancy,
and has influenced the launch of similar trash trapping and data collection programs throughout the Great Lakes and beyond.

About the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy
The Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy (Floatables Strategy) is a collaborative strategy
with a mission to reduce plastic pollution and other floating litter in the harbour. It is a
collaboration between the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority the Toronto Remedial
Action Plan, University of Toronto Trash Team, PortsToronto, City of Toronto, Swim Drink
Fish, Waterfront Business Improvement Area, and Harbourfront Centre. Partners in Project
Green oversees the Floatables Strategy on behalf of the Toronto and Region Conservation
Authority.

Media Contact
Jessica Pellerin
Manager, Media Relations and Public Affairs, PortsToronto jpellerin@portstoronto.com

RanMarine Technology unveils a pioneering initiative for a cleaner aquatic environment with Ports Toronto

Toronto, Ontario 9 August 2023

RanMarine, backed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has introduced WasteSharks to Canadian waters. Leveraging the Netherlands Enterprise Agency’s DHI program, aimed at bolstering Dutch businesses abroad, PortsToronto and Port of Halifax are beneficiaries of the latest aqua-drones. This initiative aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting innovation, feasibility studies, and investment readiness.

Now in the summer of 2023, PortsToronto can proudly introduce their WasteShark aqua-drones named “Ebb and Flow”, as part of their visionary project set to revolutionise water cleanliness in Toronto Harbour. In tandem with PortsToronto’s Seabins, these autonomous Wastesharks will adeptly capture floating debris and plastic pollution, championing sustainability. Employing a Roomba-like approach, they effortlessly skim the water surface, channeling waste through a specialized catch basin and net. With a robust 180-liter capacity, each Wasteshark can eliminate up to 1100 lbs of waste daily. Based at the Outer Harbour Marina, these aquatic wonders will traverse target zones across the Toronto Harbour and waterfront, collecting data while supporting PortsToronto’s partnership with the University of Toronto (UofT) Trash Team.

About PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program

The PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program employs trash-trapping technology and solutions-based research to tackle plastic pollution and protect Toronto’s waters for future generations. Since 2019, the program has removed hundreds of thousands of small pieces of plastic pollution from the Toronto Harbour, moving the needle toward cleaner water in Lake Ontario.

The program is led by PortsToronto and the U of T Trash Team, in partnership with the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (WBIA) and the City of Toronto BIA Office Innovation Grant, Nieuport Aviation, the Toronto Zoo, Harbourfront Centre and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). It is part of the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy, a collaborative strategy with a mission to reduce plastic pollution and other floating litter in the harbour, and of the International Trash Trapping Network, an initiative led by the U of T Trash Team and Ocean Conservancy, and has influenced the launch of similar trash trapping and data collection programs throughout the Great Lakes and beyond.

Defeating blue-green algae: Meet the advanced MegaShark

SUSTAINABILITY – RanMarine’s aqua drones help clean the water by combating plastics and (blue-green) algae, which plague Dutch waters every summer.

Nothing beats a dip in natural swimming water during a hot summer day, right? But every year, the same question arises again: Is the water safe for swimming, or will these awful blue-green algae prevent us from entering the water? With the WasteShark and MegaShark, RanMarine not only removes plastic waste and unwanted algae. “We are now working hard on developing an advanced MegaShark that can target the harmful and annoying blue-green algae as well,” says Richard Hardiman, CEO of the Rotterdam-based company.

In the ongoing battle against water pollution, RanMarine is making waves with its innovative water drone technology. The company is tackling the global issue of water pollution with the WasteShark and the Mega Shark: high-tech devices that glide through the water, collecting pollutants. “You can compare it to an autonomous vacuum cleaner, but instead of vacuuming your lounge, they vacuum the top thirty centimeters of waterways”, explains Hardiman. The drones are equipped with sensors and cameras and can navigate complex waterways.

The MegaShark
Natural waters face a big problem nowadays: algal blooms. The consequences of excessive algae range from unattractive appearance and unpleasant odors – bad for tourism and overall well-being – to severe disruptions in aquatic ecosystems by depleting oxygen levels and blocking sunlight, damaging plants, and harming the fish. “The blooms are fueled by excessive nutrient runoff of farmer lands and profit from climate change. As temperatures rise and the population grows, we must feed more people. That means more farming and more fertilizers. I foresee that algae will become a huge problem in the future”, Hardiman explains.

Read more here> LINK

From aquatic drones to AI beach buggies and enzymes that ‘eat’ polyester

The solutions being developed to clean up the 199 MILLION tonnes of plastic littering our oceans

  • Scientists and engineers are working to find solutions to the global problem of ocean plastic
  • Technologies like seabins, plastic interceptors and aquatic drones are currently being utilised
  • Plastic-eating enzymes, microbe nets and magnetic liquids are being scaled up, but show promise
  • MailOnline looks at how else we are working to remove rubbish from our oceans and rivers

Plastic waste is being discovered in increasingly remote locations around the world, from fresh Antarctic snow to the mountain air above the Pyrenees.

According to the World Economic Forum, between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic are currently in our oceans.

This ranges from large floating debris to microplastics, which form as the bigger pieces of waste break down.

As a result, scientists and engineers are working hard to find new solutions to the global problem of plastic pollution.

These include aquatic drones that can be programmed to scoop up floating debris from the surface of rivers, and buggies that use artificial intelligence (AI) to search for and pick up litter for use on beaches.

Scientists are also hoping to scale up the use of magnetic nano-scale springs that hook on to microplastics and break them down.

MailOnline takes a closer a look at some of the technologies currently being used to reduce the man-made debris in our oceans, and those that are still in development.

MailOnline takes a closer look at ten new technologies that are helping to remove man-made garbage from Earth's oceans, including plastic-eating enzymes and marine drones

MailOnline takes a closer look at ten new technologies that are helping to remove man-made garbage from Earth’s oceans, including plastic-eating enzymes and marine drones

According to the World Economic Forum, between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic are currently floating in our oceans, with millions of tons more dumped every year

According to the World Economic Forum, between 75 and 199 million tons of plastic are currently floating in our oceans, with millions of tons more dumped every year

To read the article by Mail on Line see this link

Drone WasteShark removes plastic waste and biomass

Autonomous surface vessel (ASV) WasteShark by company RanMarine Technology vacuums and cleans plastic waste and biomass from water bodies using drone technology. Modeled after a shark, the water vehicle-looking vacuum is designed to be deployed with preset mission routes on the user’s chosen waterbody. By selecting WasteShark’s operating route and predetermining its path, its user covers the region they require waste or data collection. The routes can be saved and re-run as often as needed, depending on the user. The ASV drone also uses GPS routes to navigate to the desired areas and to return home. Light detection and ranging system can be added to the device to avoid collision and enhanced data gathering from the environment. The company – which specializes in the design and development of industrial ASVs for ports, harbors, and other marine and water environments – says that the design of WasteShark allows it to be efficient, long-lived, non-threatening, and unobtrusive, with zero greenhouse and carbon emissions that alter climate change and in-house clean technology tools used for cleaning water. Because of these, the all-purpose waste and data collection ASV can be used in urban, rural, industrial, and leisure environments.
WasteShark has a 10-hour swim time, 5km range of run, and waypoint planning, and it can clear up to 500 kilos of debris per day, run for 3km/h and for six hours in autonomous mode. The company installed 4G technology into its ASV with a 3km radio-controlled guidance and two electric thrusters which it guarantees are mounted with RanMarine proprietary thruster guard technology. RanMarine Technology’s WasteShark is one of the many ASVs the company desires to create in the future to clear plastics, bio-waste, and other debris from waterways. It says that the data enablement of its products allows customers to closely monitor, in real-time, the environment and makeup of their water, producing an accurate picture of the water’s DNA to pinpoint any unquantified concerns. RanMarine Technology products are also designed to be used manually via an onshore operator or autonomously with online control and access such as WasteShark.
Read the full article by Design Boom on this link.

WasteShark: River Trash Traps Chew at Huge Ocean Plastics Problem

WasteShark, a drone cum trash trap may be the answer to solving the ocean plastic problems. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

How do river trash traps help eliminate ocean plastic?

WasteShark is a boxy, 5-foot 2-inch-long aquatic drone cleaning up plastic waste in a pond in Rotterdam, maybe a solution to clean plastic waste in the water. Known as the WasteShark, the device is an aqua drone that removes plastic and debris floating on water surfaces. According to RanMarine Technology, the drone is capable of holding 42 gallons of trash and other floating debris. It can also mop up plants and algae floating on water and operate for eight hours after a single charge.

“So we wanted it to be as easy to deploy as possible, as easy to capture the trash and bring it back to land, make it safer so that the operator is stood on the shore rather than was in the water, make it battery operated, so it was zero emissions, not diesel or fossil fuel-powered. And it was easy to store away,” said Richard Hardiman, the CEO, and founder of RanMarine.“A lot of the time our customers have bigger boats that need a captain and a lot of maintenance and a lot of mechanical movement to make them work. We wanted something very sleek, very simple, get the trash out and start recycling faster than what has been done right now,” he added.

More on the WasteShark

The concept inspired by the whale shark, the majestic creature that swims with its mouth open is revolutionary. “The WasteShark was based on the whale shark, which has a large mouth for capturing its prey. So that’s why we have two pontoons, one on each side. So that the waste can come in from the front. And it gets trapped in between the pontoons,” explained Tessa Despinic. Despinic is the design engineer of the miraculous product. According to the developers, they were successful in selling over 40 aquatic drones. With the price starting from $25,600, the basic model comes with a manually controlled option. Higher-end models are programmable.

This is one of the many techniques present for reducing the plastic waste problem . As trash is washed away, thrown, or blown into waterways, storm drains close up or carry them forward.“ Once plastic or trash ends up in the ocean, it’s very hard to collect because it does break down. And so it gets smaller and smaller and it’s just hard to get out to our big open oceans and collect the trash there. We’d much rather collect that trash closer to shore, which is easier, it’s less costly,” stated Nancy Wallace. Wallace is the director of the Marine Debris Program under the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

“The most important thing with marine debris or plastic or trash in our ocean is we don’t want it there in the first place. So while all of these devices are incredibly helpful, we need to work on the upstream solutions of generating less waste from the consumer standpoint, but also the industry standpoint. And so there’s a lot of different players that are going to help solve this problem overall,” added Wallace. Ocean life is declining due to rising temperatures, plastic debris, and human interference. This waste trapper is possible a way to help them.

Read article by Menafn on this link.

From Combat to Cleaning Waterways

The oceans cover over 70 percent of the surface of the planet and provide over 70 percent of the oxygen we breathe. In addition, they absorb around 50 times more Co2 than our atmosphere does.

While paramount to life on Earth, our oceans are currently being threatened by plastic pollution, climate change, and overfishing. These threats can greatly harm precious marine life and the humans that depend on them for their livelihoods.

Marine scientists have long warned of the implications that ocean pollution poses to our very existence. Solutions have been actively sought that could potentially help humans minimize the pollution damage to our oceans.

When the first aerial drone (aka Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV) came onto the market in Britain in 1935, people were blown away by the potential these devices held for society. Initially developed for aerial target practice by the Royal Air Force, drones have now become commonplace all over the world.

In 2013 major companies around the world, including Amazon, Uber and UPS began testing delivery concepts using drones and by 2020 drones were assisting in the delivery of medications and conducting mass disinfection during the Coronavirus outbreak.

But drones are not only used for combat or delivering medication and assistance during pandemics. Let’s examine a few ways drones are helping the oceans.

Drone use in marine conservation

Drones are revolutionizing conservation science in terms of how marine animals are being monitored and observed, allowing researchers to get closer to these animals than ever before without hampering their natural habitats.

In terms of marine conservation, drones can create high-resolution base maps of marine areas, proving far more superior to the images being obtained from Google Maps and Satellite Images. Georeferenced orthomosaics, for example, help research teams measure distances and features with true accuracy.

Drones are also able to fly at very low altitudes of 50 meters or lower, allowing operators to obtain photographic images for transects and species analysis. This approach completely removes the interference of the species’ habitats making it a far more effective way of gathering data in terms of marine conservation. What this means is that researchers are now able to produce more meaningful data in a more cost-effective way.

Underwater drones are also helping researchers to monitor the health of marine ecosystems. Previously hard-to-reach places can now be accessed by drones, bringing back water and sediment samples that help scientists determine the type of species inhabiting certain areas. Furthermore, drones have proved invaluable in helping scientists and researchers to better understand the impact of aquaculture operations on marine environments.

Another incredibly effective way drones are being used is in disentangling whales from fishing lines and marine debris. Once entangled, whales face starvation due to not being able to feed or drowning if they are not able to reach the surface for air. Before the use of drones, marine conservationists would need to reach entangled whales at least 3 times. Initially to assess the entanglement situation, then again to disentangle the whale, and lastly to ensure they were disentangled properly.

These operations were obviously very dangerous for conservationists. But thanks to sophisticated drones, marine conservationists can safely assess the damage and ensure the whales are properly freed by viewing images captured at close range by the drones. With the help of the drones, they only need to make an approach once to actually free the whales from entanglement since the viewed images from the drones help them to make accurate assessments before and after.

Not only are drones able to help free whales from man’s pollution, but they are effectively used to study whale and dolphin populations. The amount of data that can be simultaneously collected is astonishing. From collecting whale snot for analysis to determining the size of marine mammals, researchers now have a much deeper understanding of the behaviour of these ocean mammals thanks to the drone’s ability to monitor them at closer range without interfering with their natural habitats.

Previously, hydrophones were used to capture and monitor whale vocalizations. But thanks to another type of drone called EarBot, this process has become relatively easy. The drone lands in the water near the whales, turns off its engines, and records the whale vocalizations while simultaneously transmitting data directly back to the boat.

Can Drones Clean Our Waterways?

It’s incredible that drones can offer support with so many ocean conservation issues. Therefore, it is no surprise that drones could also be the answer to ocean pollution.

RanMarine Technology’s WasteShark (aka an autonomous surface vehicle or ASV) is a 1.57 meter water drone that collects debris and biomass from the surface of waterways before this pollution reaches the sea.

Referred to as the “trash-eating ocean drone” by many, WasteShark was modeled after the whale shark, the world’s largest fish. It’s designed to be a long-term and efficient solution that is unobtrusive and non-threatening to living beings in the water. It’s a low-cost solution that is easily transportable, easy to operate, and results in zero greenhouse emissions.

Its charge can last up to 10 hours, and in this time, it collects waste but can also collect data using sensor probes. In addition, multiple WasteSharks can work together, covering more water and collecting other waste. Its use in rural, urban, leisure, and industrial environments is truly impressive.

Currently, waste poses enormous implications for the ecosystems in our oceans. But thanks to ocean pioneers like RanMarine Technology, we finally have a highly effective solution to marine pollution.