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Tag: WasteShark

The plastic-eating ‘robot shark’ cleaning up the River Thames

A robotic shark that gobbles up plastic waste has been let loose in London’s docklands, to clean up the water by removing the equivalent of more than 22,700 plastic bottles per day, according to its developers.

The battery-powered electric catamaran, called WasteShark, can travel up to 5km through water before needing a recharge and collect up to 500kg of plastic and other pollutants as it guides itself through the water.

“WasteShark is a drone on water and it’s designed to sweep the surface of the water and collect trash, debris, biomass out of the water and return it back to land,” Richard Hardiman, CEO and founder of WasteShark’s makers RanMarine said as he watched one of his devices in the water in Canary Wharf.

WasteShark produces no carbon, noise or light pollution as it travels, and poses no threat to wildlife.

It is designed to rid waterways of plastic waste and make sure the plastic collected is recycled and reused.

“We have two versions, one that can be remotely controlled and one that is autonomous, very similar to a vacuum cleaner you might have at home,” Hardiman said.

“The idea is on the autonomous mode that it acts as a drone. So it literally sweeps around the water. You can go and do your job, come back and it should be full and you empty it and then you put it back in,” he said.

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The machines also collect data on water quality as they travel, sending back readings on turbidity, salinity, temperature, pH balance, and depth of the water.

Published by RTE

Ranmarine technology teams up with aqua libra and canary wharf

RANMARINE TECHNOLOGY TEAMS UP WITH AQUA LIBRA AND CANARY WHARF GROUP TO LAUNCH LONDON’S FIRST WASTESHARK TO ELIMINATE WASTE FROM WATERWAYS AHEAD OF GLOBAL RECYCLING DAY

RanMarine Technology teams up with businesses to restore clean water in London

London, England, 17 March 2023 – RanMarine Technology teamed up with the Canary Wharf Group (CWG), Britvic, and Aqua Libra; the company best known for its infused sparkling waters, to launch the first WasteShark in London. The plastic-gobbling robot was launched into the Middle Dock at Canary Wharf just ahead of Global Recycling Day, 18 March 2023. 

The WasteShark is the world’s leading aquatic robot designed to remove floating waste and collect water quality data from waterways. The WasteShark is battery powered and can navigate up to 5km of water and collects up to 500 kg of plastic and pollutants per day, emits zero emissions without producing any noise or light pollution as it roams the canals. Once waste is collected, it is then recycled to live on again where possible.

RanMarine is excited to partner with business and smart property holdings to help remove pollution from urban waters. The launch of the WasteShark into Canary Wharf is a first for RanMarine in many ways- a first in London and a first partnership with a developer and corporate sponsor. This proof-of-concept connects like-minded stakeholders with a synergetic goal of removing plastic and restoring clean water, it is a win-win outcome for all involved.

About RanMarine Technology

RanMarine Technology is an autonomous robotics scale-up specialising in the autonomy of vessels/Aqua-drones on water and headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Our primary product, using the company’s proprietary autonomy and robotics software, is the WasteShark aqua-drone; designed to harvest plastic and biomass waste from waterways in smart cities, ports, harbours or leisure waters.  Additionally, the aqua-drone can be fitted with sensors to collect water quality data, temperature and depth measurements for informed water management actions.

Robot shark

‘Robot shark’ from startup RanMarine collects waste from the canals of Zaandam: Rotterdam company is aiming for ’round of millions’ to conquer the US

Frequent visitors to the Zaandam city center will have already seen him: the so-called ‘Veulvreter’. Here, in the Gedempte Gracht, a small white boat sails once a week with an insatiable hunger for waste. Floating cans, chip trays, PET bottles: this mini-catamaran eats everything that we humans would rather lose than be rich.

The ‘Veulvreter’, as it is called in Zaandam, is actually called WasteShark. It is a creation of the Rotterdam company RanMarine (in full: RanMarine Technology). After a charge, the electrically powered boat can search the water for six hours for waste, according to a pre-programmed zigzagging pattern. As a result, the ‘robot shark’ can remove up to 500 kilograms of waste from the water per day, according to the startup.

Zaanstad was the second Dutch municipality to launch the WasteShark in December, after Dordrecht had previously conducted a successful trial with the device. It saves time for employees of the municipal waste service in Zaandam, as they no longer have to fiddle with fishing nets to retrieve discarded cans from the canal.

Esther Lokhorst stands bent over one of her robot sharks in an old industrial building on a business park in the Rotterdam industrial area Nieuw Methesse. The interior can be described as a potpourri of wires and chips. A team of four young men works on the hardware and Lokhorst, as operational director, keeps an eye on things.

A little further in the open air we find a small water bath, which was installed here by RanMarine. Even though the sun is shining seductively this Wednesday afternoon, people are not supposed to take a dip in it. The only bather allowed is the WasteShark, which Lokhorst and her team test here after every refinement of the technique.

RanMarine’s WasteShark makes a tour of the test pool in Rotterdam. In the background operational director Esther Lokhorst (left) and founder Richard Hardiman.Photo: Business Insider Netherlands/Jelmer Luimstra

Sensor-equipped drones

The boats are in fact drones equipped with GPS and two sensors. The sensors measure the water quality and depth and forward this information to an online portal of RanMarine. “If, for example, dredging is required, customers immediately gain insight into how deep the soil is,” says Lokhorst.

Her company supplies floating drones that work completely autonomously, but also robot boats that you can control remotely. The robot boat can not only grab plastic waste from the water, but also duckweed. The company is currently investigating in Helsinki whether it is also possible to rid the water of blue-green algae.

No, the robot sharks are not a danger to passing birds, Lokhorst says when asked when we take a seat in a deserted, industrial-looking company canteen. “The boats only sail three kilometers per hour,” says the director. “In our five years of existence, we have never caught a bird or even a fish.”

RanMarine has so far sold more than fifty of these types of boats to 25 customers, says Lokhorst. Many of those customers come from abroad. For example, robot boats from the startup are sailing in the port of Houston, in Dallas and in Plymouth in the UK. The company has customers worldwide: from South Africa to South Korea and from Nigeria to Ireland.

Typical customers are government institutions and water boards, but theme parks are also part of the regular customer base. For example, RanMarine supplies its robot boats to Disney and Universal parks in Florida, among others. “America is a very important market for us,” says Lokhorst. “We are therefore now setting up an American division. We already have employees in the US and want to expand considerably.”

In time, this should result in an American office, says Lokhorst when asked. When, she can’t say yet. “For the time being, we will keep production and development here in Rotterdam. If we scale up considerably in the US, we will also start an assembly department there.”

In the Netherlands, Zaandam and Dordrecht are currently the only municipalities to which RanMarine supplies its aquadrones. It sometimes turns out to be quite complicated to hook up with municipalities. “The municipality is not always responsible for cleaning up waste. Some municipalities outsource this to cleaning companies.”

Lokhorst does state that its sales team is busy hooking up more Dutch municipalities. RanMarine even expects to start a project in the Wadden Sea soon.

Operations director Esther Lokhorst (left) of RanMarine joined the company in 2017. To the right of its founder Richard Hardiman. Business Insider Netherlands/ Jelmer Luimstra

Film WALL-E provided inspiration

Lokhorst is not the founder of RanMarine. The company was founded in 2016 by South African Richard Hardiman, who worked as a radio DJ and journalist in a previous life.

Hardiman came up with the idea of ​​the garbage-eating robot shark when he was sitting on a terrace in Cape Town and saw people using a net to remove dirt from the water. There had to be an easier way, Hardiman thought. His mind wandered off to the film WALL-E, in which the leading role is played by a futuristic robot that collects and compresses waste.

A little further on, the bearded man in his forties is having a video call with a colleague from the US. Hardiman has been living in the Netherlands since 2020, where he saw more opportunities to succeed with his startup plan than in South Africa. He participated in a growth program of PortXL, a company affiliated with the port of Rotterdam, for which Lokhorst worked. She joined the then fledgling startup in 2017.

Now, six years later, the company already employs 23 people. RanMarine has been profitable since 2021, according to Lokhorst. The company does not share profit and turnover figures. From the most recent summary profit and loss account that the company filed with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), it can be concluded that RamMarine closed 2021 with a positive equity capital of more than 7 tons.

RanMarine raised an unknown amount of growth financing twice in its existence. According to Lokhorst, a “serious round of millions” is planned for April. With the upcoming millions, RanMarine hopes to be able to grow faster, especially in the US. The company is also investing in the development of larger aquadrones and robot boats that can extract oil from the water.

Rapid growth also seems to be necessary. In 2019, RanMarine was the first party to market an aquadrone. The market is now busier, with competitors in France, China and the US. Nevertheless, Lokhorst does not see a major threat in this: “The market is large enough for several parties. The positive thing about more competition is that this technique will become better known as a way to remove rubbish from the water.”

Article written by Jelmer Luimstra of Business Insider Nederland

Feb 23, 2023

The shark that collects waste and data

If you look carefully, staring at the water, you will see it: a shark with a huge open mouth. But no fish, plankton or unsuspecting swimmers disappear into this shark’s mouth: the WasteShark catches plastic and other waste. RanMarine’s promising prototype has developed into a mature water robot that cleans water worldwide. Creator Richard Hardiman: ‘I am an inventor, I enjoy turning ideas into actual solutions.’

The idea for the WasteShark originated in South Africa, where Hardiman comes from. ‘I saw two people fishing rubbish out of the water with a fishing net. I thought: surely there must be a different and better way of doing that? A product that can clean up waste without anyone being present. Around the same time, I became a father and developed an interest in sustainability. I wanted to do something good, also in terms of work. And that’s how the idea for the WasteShark was born. I have an engineering background so I started building. In 2016 I came into contact with the PortXL programme that allowed me to develop my idea as part of my newly established startup RanMarine.’

Water robot

Hardiman ended up at RDM Rotterdam, where he continued to develop his shark: ‘The WasteShark is a mini-water robot that floats and can navigate autonomously. It scours the surface of the water for plastic, waste and pollution and other things that do not belong in the water. The WasteShark collects it in its ‘open mouth’ and brings it to the shore. The smart shark can also pick up natural material that impacts water quality, such as duckweed, algae and aquatic plants. In addition, the WasteShark collects data on water quality. For example, it can monitor whether outboard water is suitable for swimming.’

Practical

How large and heavy is the shark? Hardiman lists the specifications: ‘The WasteShark is controlled via 4G, has a range of 3 kilometres, reaches a speed of 3 kilometres per hour and can swim for about 6 hours. The water robot is 1.57 metres long, 1.09 metres wide, 52 centimetres high and weighs 75 kilos. Very manageable in other words.’

Easy to use

There are several people and organisations whose models retrieve waste from the water. How is WasteShark different from other solutions? Hardiman: ‘It is simple, elegant and efficient. It is emission-free and does not result in any other pollution in the water, and it is easy to deploy. That was also our aim. We wanted to design a tool that collects as much waste as possible in a simple and manageable way, and can be used easily and by as many people as possible. If you have a fairly large car, you can even transport it in the boot. So it’s user-friendly for a wide audience.’

Millions of sharks

How does Hardiman see the future? ‘I am not against plastic, it is a convenient product. But we do have a huge mountain of plastic waste entering the environment. It’s all about how to recycle plastic even better. We can make great strides in that and the WasteShark can contribute. My dream is to have millions of WasteSharks active all over the world. Not only to collect waste, but also to collect data. We need to know what is in our water and not just what is floating on it. Using that data, we can learn how to improve and maintain the quality of the water!’

Springboard

What does Rotterdam mean to Hardiman? ‘My original idea was to return to Cape Town, but the Port of Rotterdam is a springboard to the world of robotics and engineering. And there’s a strong network of companies here committed to sustainability worldwide. This will allow us to improve the WasteShark even further and expand its distribution. I started out on my own and now we have grown into a company with 25 people, thanks to Rotterdam. I am glad I stayed, because without the Port of Rotterdam, RanMarine would not be here!’

Article and Video by Port of Rotterdam 

WasteSharks – Taking a bite out of water pollution

The state of the planet, and particularly our bodies of water, is becoming of greater concern every day. Some estimates are that one million plastic bottles are sold every minute across the globe, many of these ending up in waterways.

One man who is making a massive difference in that regard is Cape Town’s own, founder of RanMarine and the WasteShark – a marine vessel designed to both clear unwanted material from inland and near-coastal water, and to collect water quality data from the marine environment – that’s now operational in 12 countries around the world, including South Africa.

“The purpose of the WasteShark is to remove waste, litter (plastics) and harmful algae from the surface of the water. The idea is that, very much like a small autonomous vacuum cleaner… this machine can operate in a similar fashion, cleaning the water constantly,” explains Hardiman.

“Our purpose is to develop technology to make our world a more liveable place and ease the pressure humans are adding to our fragile water resources and ecosystems”

“The WasteShark and our developing platforms are part of the greater vision of making collection of waste and pollution in water more efficient, less costly and ultimately less harmful than current methods used,” he adds.

1. When was the WaterShark invented?
The WasteShark was invented as a concept in 2013 but wasn’t developed into a first prototype until 2015; in 2016 the founder Richard Hardiman was invited to enter a maritime accelerator in Rotterdam, the Netherlands where he received funding to develop the first version of the WasteShark we know today.

2. What was the motivation behind its invention?
The original idea came about when Richard saw how marine litter was then being cleaned by water authorities, using small boats and pool nets to remove the litter. Richard thought he could design and come up with a more effective way to remove waste from water using drones. The original motivation was a desire for greater efficiency but also led Richard into the environmental space where he saw just how effective new technology could be in helping our planet.

3. Where is the WaterShark being used? Where did it start off and how has it grown over the years?
The idea and concept were developed in Cape Town, South Africa and the very first prototype was built and tested there. Subsequently Richard moved the business to the Netherlands to develop the product and business further.  Since 2016 drones now operate in the EU, Ireland, the UK, South Korea, India, Australia and the USA amongst others.

4. What purpose does it serve? How does it function?
The purpose of the WasteShark is to remove waste, litter (plastics) and harmful algae from the surface of the water.  The idea is that very much like a small autonomous vacuum cleaner you may have in your house, this machine can operate in a similar fashion, cleaning the water constantly.  RanMarine has developed two versions of the product, one that is remote controlled and an operator can remain on the quayside while cleaning and capturing waste. The second version is an autonomous robot that can be set to clean an area without human intervention and return with waste once it is full. It uses onboard lidar as collision avoidance and collects water quality data as it goes using sensors mounted onboard.

5. How does the product omit emissions?
The WasteShark uses batteries to operate so it does not emit any emissions while it is in use – like a battery-powered car, the WasteShark can be operated up to 10 hours a day on a single charge.

6. Are there any plans to further develop the WasteShark, and what do those plans look like?
RanMarine is launching a larger version in the next six months capable of removing one ton of waste in a single load, this has been developed over the last few years and will be on sale in the middle of the year; we are also developing a docking station which houses up to five WasteSharks at a time, empties their baskets automatically and recharges them making it a total autonomous solution where humans are only required for oversight.

SA Sailing in partnership with World Sailing are committed to reducing waste and together have released a cobranded Sustainability Education Programme for sailing clubs and parents as part of the 2030 Agenda of Sailing’s commitment to global sustainability.

If you would like to see WasteShark in your local waters, please contact RanMarine today and start the journey of reducing waste in South Africa.

The article can be found on link.

Best robots of CES 2023

Editor’s Picks: best robots of CES 2023

By Mike Oitzman | 

The consumer electronics show (CES) is the largest event for consumer product launches in the world. I had the opportunity to attend CES for the first time this year, and it was an overwhelming experience. With over 3,200 vendors, there is so much to see that it would be impossible for one person to see and experience everything. That’s where pre-event research is critical to distill the vendor list down to a manageable size. I wanted to see over 60 robot-related products at CES 2023, and I only had two days to do so.

Here’s a recap of my favorite robotic solutions at CES 2023 (in no particular order):

Waste Shark by RanMarine

I stumbled on the Waste Shark by RanMarine in the Netherlands innovation area of CES Eureka Park. This was the serendipitous part of my CES adventure. Waste Shark is an autonomous marine vehicle that is designed to navigate small waterways and clear plastics, bio-waste and other debris from the surface of the water. The robot is completely autonomous but takes its basic design from its larger manned sibling, the Tender Shark.

The primary use case for Waste Shark is to operate on contained bodies of either fresh or salt water.  Parks, golf courses and amusement parks are just a few of the potential application areas for Waste Shark. The robot needs to return to the dock or shoreline when it’s time to remove the debris from its internal trap. It is a simple process to remove the trash basket as it slides out of the front of the vehicle for emptying.

The robot monitors its forward speed and determines that the trash basket is full when there is a measurable drag on the forward motion of the vehicle. Waste Shark can operate in salt water, but due to its small size should be restricted to operation in contained harbors.

Enchanted Tools – Mirokai

If you went to CES 2023 but didn’t meet Mirokai, don’t go looking for the booth that wasn’t there. Enchanted Tools showed off Mirokai in a private suite to an exclusive group of people. I was lucky enough to secure an invite.

There’s a lot to like, and a lot to question about the future of Mirokai as a commercial solution. What I liked about Mirokai was the top-notch overall design, form and function of the robot. The Enchanted Tools designers and engineering team did a fantastic job in pulling the whole design concept together. I love the face, head and interactivity of Mirokai – it’s immediately engaging.

With an animated face, there’s no uncanny valley to cross, and you are immediately enthralled (some might say enchanted) by the eyes, mouth and voice. This robot is built kinematically around a ball-bot, and there hasn’t been a commercially successful implementation of a ball-bot yet. With a moveable torso, head and arms, Mirokai is more complex than the original ball-bot designs.

The beauty of the ball-bot is in its fluid motion across the floor, and this supports the illusion of the Mirokai character. The downside (in my opinion) is that a ball-bot is dynamically stable, and any small disruption to its balance, such as pushing on the head or pulling on an arm, requires that the robot respond to keep its balance. In an ideal world with flat surfaces, the ball-bot can maintain its balance. However, the cluttered house of an elderly owner is going to present challenges to the navigation paradigm and balance-keeping algorithms for this class of robot design.

Overall, I give Mirokai high marks for design implementation and interactivity. It is the most pleasing service robot that I’ve ever interacted with.

What was a little over the top in the product introduction, is the whole mythology behind the Miroko world and the Mirokai characters. Enchanted Tools is trying to make a whole new set of characters and bring them to life. To make a social robot for the elder care use case, you don’t need to know the whole origin story behind it.

The company has already shown that it can give Mirokai a persona that is charming and fun to talk to. If Mirokai is used for entertainment, the company still has a lot of work to do to make videos, books and games that fit with the mythology.

New Ottonomy Yeti robot

The Ottonomy Yeti Ottobot features a holonomic drive and an automatic package delivery option. | Credit: Ottonomy

Ottonomy demoed the new Ottobot Yeti last-mile delivery robot at CES 2023. This new platform includes an entirely new drive platform that includes holonomic motion using a four-wheel swerve drive. The cargo-carrying payload platform has also been redesigned to be larger and more robust. The payload area includes two cargo bays that open autonomously, to allow a patron to remove only their order.

Yeti also features an optional autonomous cargo drop door. This enables Yeti to autonomously move a package (i.e. a box) from inside the cargo bay, onto the ground or into a locker.

Ottonomy received an RBR50 Award in 2021, for its first delivery application deployment within the Cincinnati Airport. Since that first generation, Ottonomy has continued to expand the capabilities of the platform, and to enable indoor to outdoor navigation. This capability makes Ottobot one of the few AMRs capable of both indoor and outdoor navigation with the same platform. The company is targeting curbside delivery for both grocery and mall-based restaurants as the initial market for the robots.

aeo by Aeolus Robotics

Aeolus Robotics demoed the second generation of its aeo social robot at CES2023. This latest generation of aeo is a complete redo of the robot design from the original model. The robot still features two fully articulating and vision-guided manipulators (i.e. arms).

aeo can be equipped with a number of different end effectors. The primary gripper is a two-fingered gripper, useful for picking up items, and opening drawers and doors.

The company has also developed (and demoed) the following end effectors:

  • Two fingered gripper
  • Large, general area UV disinfecting light
  • Small, door handle UV disinfecting light
  • Interactive tablet
  • Interactive phone, tablet and printer

The primary use case for aeo is elder care, and the company has deployed a number of aeo gen 2 units into elder care facilities in Japan. With the new capability to ride an elevator, aeo can now be deployed into multilevel facilities.

BIM Printer

The BIM Printer robot features a mobile frame with an X/Y plotter-style print unit to paint BIM data onto the building floor. | Credit: BIM Printer

The construction robotics market has evolved quickly over the last five years. One of the companies on my CES hit list was BIM Printer, a French robotics company that hasn’t spent much time in the U.S. prior to this event.

Unfortunately, the company didn’t have a live demo at the booth, but I spent some time talking to co-founder Vincent Agie. The robot is currently being employed to lay out the interior floor space for tenants at the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world).

Unlike the other BIM information printers on the market, BIM consists of two robots: a movable AMR frame that indexes across the floor to position the base unit, combined with an X/Y plotter that paints the BIM data onto the floor. The other automated BIM marking solutions on the market leverage an AMR that paints BIM data as it moves across the floor.

BIM Printer has an accuracy of 2 mm (0.079″) and achieves this accuracy through the use of a total station to localize the position of the robot. The go-to-market for the company is through survey company partners and construction service companies.

The company is also introducing a BIM ceiling printer that can mark all of the construction details onto the ceiling. This data includes the placement of walls, ducting, water, electrical and other utilities.

Robosen transformer toy robot

What would CES be without toy robots? There were plenty of consumer robotic toys on display, but I’ve chosen to discuss my favorite robotic plaything. Robosen is more than just a toy, its product line includes a number of transforming robot characters that range in price from $300 to $1000.

The current star of the Robosen product line (more on that later) is the Elite Optimus Prime auto-converting and programmable robot. The product is officially licensed and designed in collaboration with Hasbro.

Optimus Prime Robot is an auto-converting, interactive, programmable, voice-activated, mobile-controlled robotic toy. Robosen brings Optimus Prime to life with a fully immersive experience through voice-activated actions, mobile app controls, and endless hours of creative and fun ways to program Optimus Prime to walk, punch, blast, drive, and convert at the swipe of your finger, or command of your voice.

Next on the Robosen product roadmap will be the release of a fully articulated Disney Pixar cobranded Buzz Lightyear robot. | Credit: The Robot Report

RobotSmith material finishing workstation

RobotSmith is a fully enclosed grinding and polishing solution that uses CAD data to drive the robot paths for material finishing. | Credit: The Robot Report

RobotSmith was another serendipitous discovery I made in the Taiwan section of CES Eureka Park. This robotic work cell is a true industrial robot application that leverages an industrial robot arm to grind and polish metal objects. It wasn’t what I would have expected to discover at CES.

I was impressed by the integration between CAD model data, force feedback and AI-driven path generation in the solution. Robot Smith uses the CAD model of a part and a simulation environment to generate the grinding and polishing path. Next, it uses vision guidance to pick up unfinished physical parts from a material tray, and take the item to the various grinding and polishing station as the item is worked to the desired final state of finish.

Third Wave autonomous warehouse fork truck

ThirdWave had a static demo unit in the Ouster booth at CES2023. Credit: The Robot Report

The final discovery worth highlighting from CES 2023 is Third Wave Automation. The company is developing an automated pallet-moving fork truck for use in warehouses. The bay area company didn’t have its own booth, but it had a nonmoving demo unit of its autonomous fork truck on display at the Ouster booth.

The company is using Ouster LiDAR for navigation and obstacle avoidance. The AMR has three operational modes: (1) manual; (2) remote operation; (3) fully autonomous operation. Third Wave has implemented a controls package and sensor array that can retrofit an existing fork truck. The company is initially working with a fork truck partner Clark, and has built a package for the NPX20 vehicle. This vehicle has a load capacity of 4000 lbs (1800 kg).

Third Wave instruments the fork truck with vision cameras, LiDAR and other sensors such that a remote operator in the Third Wave remote operations center can monitor the movement of the robot. If the robot detects an issue such as a misaligned pallet, or it loses localization, the remote operator is alerted to the situation. The operator can then either remotely pilot the robot to safe location or resolve the issue to put it back into autonomous operation. Or the remote operator can alert an on-site operator to the situation and enable them to take local control of the vehicle to resolve the issue. At any time, the robot can be switched from autonomous mode to manual mode so that it can be operated under human control.

This control paradigm is a unique differentiator as many of the competitors are either manual/autonomous or remote/autonomous or manual/remote, but this is one of the first solutions that I’ve seen with the three operational modalities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Oitzman

Mike Oitzman is Editor of WTWH’s Robotics Group and founder of the Mobile Robot Guide. Oitzman is a robotics industry veteran with 25-plus years of experience at various high-tech companies in the roles of marketing, sales and product management. He can be reached at moitzman@wtwhmedia.com.

Read the article on The Robot Report

Interviews with Innovators – WasteShark: Continuously working to improve water quality

December 22, 2022

In the United States, South Korea, South Africa, Australia and various places in Europe, the innovative cleaning robot WasteShark is already being used to fish floating debris out of the water. Since last week, one has also been ‘swimming’  through the canals of Zaanstad , the first in the Netherlands. And that is striking, because RanMarine, the company behind the WasteShark, is located in Rotterdam. We interviewed the creator and CEO Richard Hardiman and the Dutch consultant Peter Kwakernaak about this smart cleaning robot and the plans that lie ahead.

Litter fishing

The idea for the WasteShark came to South African born and raised Hardiman in 2009 over a cup of coffee in Cape Town. “I had some spare time during my studies and went to get a cup of coffee at the V&A Waterfront. As I sat there I saw two men fishing garbage out of the waters of the harbour with a long net. They did it that way every day. I come from a family of engineers and immediately thought: ‘Surely there must be more efficient ways?’. My thoughts ran wild and I soon had the first ideas for a robot that fished up the litter in my head. I had no destination for it at the time, but the idea stuck in my head for a few years anyway. Eventually someone said to me: ‘if you don’t do anything with it, someone else will’.”

Prototype

That was about the same time Boyan Slat drew attention to his ‘Ocean Cleanup’ and the problem of plastic in the oceans. This made it clear to Hardiman that there was a real need for cleaner water solutions to prevent microplastics from reaching the oceans. He decided to further develop his idea and build a prototype. “Once that was done, I thought it was time to start working with people who can do this much better than me,” says Hardiman with a laugh. In 2016, for example, he came into contact with the Port XL Accelerator program in Rotterdam. After a selection procedure, the innovation was further developed at the  RDM  site in Rotterdam with the help of experts and investors.

richard-hardiman-interview-waterrecreatie-nederland-wastesharkAbout three years ago, RanMarine went on its own two feet. It was decided to no longer work with external consultants, but to employ the developers in order to create more connection with the product. The company now employs about 25 people and is working on new models. An office in the United States (Florida) has also recently been opened.

WasteShark

On its own website, RanMarine describes the WasteShark as an ‘Autonomous Surface Vessel’ or ASV for short. The name refers to the whale shark -or Whale Shark-, which swims slowly on the surface water and eats plankton there. The WasteShark does the same thing, but with floating litter. It is a kind of catamaran with a basket between the floats in which the junk is collected. The hull is powered by two electric motors. There are two versions, a remote-controlled one and a ‘smarter’ one that can be programmed to keep an area clean without bumping into anything. A total of about 6 hours can be sailed, during which a maximum of 350 kilograms of waste can be ‘caught’. The WasteShark itself has a weight of 72 kilos and is small enough to be transported in a car.

“The idea has always been to catch ‘fresh plastic’ while it still floats on the surface. Then it is still quite easy to fish out of the water. Before it breaks into pieces or can become microplastic. It becomes more difficult if it disappears under water or is carried by the current to the sea.” says Hardiman. “We found out that one of the reasons there was so little waste disposal was because it was just a hassle. For example, if you need a boat to reach certain places. So we had to make that easier and we succeeded with the WasteShark.”

The WasteSharks don’t just fish waste out of the water. Especially in the United States, they are also used to remove excessive algae growth and thus contribute to better water quality. In addition, the WasteSharks can also collect data about water quality, such as acidity and temperature. Those interested can find a demonstration video of the WasteShark on YouTube .

Worldwide

There are now about 70 WasteSharks in operation worldwide, including at major parties such as Disney, the United Nations, Houston Harbor and the World Wildlife Fund. They are used in various places, such as amusement parks, (marina) harbours and nature reserves. Hardiman adds: “I have always had the feeling that we are really a Dutch company. But we just don’t have many customers here. That is the goal for the coming years, to have more WasteSharks swimming around in our own country”.

peter-kwakernaak-interview-waterrecreatie-nederland-wasteshark

That is also one of the reasons that Peter Kwakernaak is connected. The two have a connection via South Africa, where Kwakernaak had a  guesthouse for a while  . Back in the Netherlands, the native Hagenaar had the desire to undertake more sustainable activities. “So I started helping Richard to further expand his network in the Netherlands. There was something very beautiful in Rotterdam, it cannot be that a pearl of Dutch  green tech  is Rotterdam’s best kept secret.” says Kwakernaak.

Expand in the Netherlands

Both do not see the fact that the roll-out in the Netherlands is not yet automatic as something negative. Hardiman: “The adoption of ‘ new-tech’  always takes time, especially in a more traditional sector such as the maritime sector. In other countries, such as the US, this is faster. I don’t see that as a bad thing, it ensures that everything here in the Netherlands remains nice and stable. So we have to let our products prove themselves, so that they will also be bought here. Zaanstad is a first example of this, we receive good feedback and data that we can also use for other cities. It is also not a product that you are immediately convinced of after reading the brochure, you have to see it for yourself. We will be organizing many demonstrations in the coming months, visiting trade fairs and this is how the WasteShark will have to prove itself.”

“Fortunately, we are already seeing that happen,” Kwakernaak adds. “A number of users have now opted to expand the ‘fleet’ and purchase more WasteSharks from RanMarine. That is of course a good sign. Together with an expansion of our portfolio, I see significant growth in the coming period.”

Sponsorships

Kwakernaak sees many opportunities for what they call ‘sponsorships’ for a further expansion of the fleet. “You could also use the WaterShark as a floating advertising column for your branding , while cleaning the water in the meantime. For large brands that want to make a sustainable contribution, it becomes so attractive to really do something and at the same time bring their brand to the attention in a positive way. Or, for example, in combination with a water festival such as Amsterdam Pride, where the water is unintentionally polluted.”

Dream

When asked about the dream scenario for the future, Hardiman is clear: “My dream is that we can deploy zero-emission, battery-powered robots all over the world to contribute to clean water. In addition to fishing for waste, we can also take measurements and thus monitor the quality of the water. I dream that we will soon have thousands of them sailing around the world, collecting data. I hope the WasteSharks become as normal as the robot vacuum cleaners or robot lawnmowers. So that we are constantly working on improving water quality all over the world. At the same time, I am aware that this is only part of the solution. Fortunately, a lot is already being done to reduce the use of plastic and prevent pollution.

Kwakernaak adds: “We are currently working on a larger robot, the MegaShark. It is intended to be used in somewhat rougher water, possibly also at sea. We think that they can be put to good use there, for example for cleaning and taking measurements around wind farms. If you were to send a boat there now, the windmills would have to be stopped. With our unmanned  sharks that’s not necessary. In addition, we are now working on the ‘OilShark’, the concept of which has now been devised. This would allow us to clean up oil and other nautical fluids if they end up in the water. And what might be a nice dream for the future is that all large ships, for example superyachts and recreational users, have a WasteShark on board to help clean up the mess in the water or in the port where they moor and thus jointly bear the responsibility for clean water .”

Read the article by Waterrecreatie Nederland on link

This robot shark cleans the Zaanse canals

December 15, 2022, 3:56 PM Modified December 15, 2022, 5:02 PM By Mischa Korzec

The WasteShark is an ‘aquadrone’ that will keep the canal clean of litter, hopes the municipality of Zaanstad. Today it was presented to the public and the new directors of the waste and cleaning service. The shark must keep the Gedempte Gracht clean of the large amount of waste that visitors to the city center throw into the water. Because the Gedempte Gracht is frozen, he was allowed to enter the Zaan for this time.

Link to video

This robot shark eats the Zaanse canals clean – NH News

“We used to have a four-metre shovel and then you couldn’t reach everything,” says Aad van der Wal. He and his colleagues Erik and Wendy can’t wait to pilot the aquadrone. Wendy Fischer lets the men try first, “but I think it would be fun to sail that thing in the canal.” The remote-controlled boat owes its name to the ‘whale shark’ and with a little imagination you can see that in it.

Rubbish Eater

The municipality has baptized the aquadrone “Veulvreter”, the name came about from 130 entries that the city received for the device. Alderman Wessel Breunesse is the first to play with the boat today. Concentrated, he sails the Wasteshark over the Zaan, while Aad throws some cans into the water for the shark to eat. “I hope everyone sees that we are doing everything we can to keep the canal and the center clean.” He therefore calls on visitors to throw their waste in the waste bins as much as possible.

Read the article by NH Nieuws on the above link

Tech Solutions for a Responsible Future at CES 2023

The Kingdom of the Netherlands to Showcase 70 Companies with Tech Solutions for a Responsible Future at CES 2023

AMSTERDAM (PRWEB) NOVEMBER 22, 2022

The Netherlands’ CES 2023 delegation includes 40 startups in Eureka Park and 30 scale-ups in the Venetian Expo, with tech solutions that span sustainability and circularity, energy transition, battery tech, health and wellness, sports, safety, 5G, IoT, communications, space, nanotech, sensors, drones and robots, AI, big data, security, blockchain, AR/VR, edtech, quantum computing, integrated photonics, enterprise solutions and the future of work.

Returning for the seventh consecutive year, The Kingdom of the Netherlands, today announced the 70 Dutch startup and scale-up tech companies who will take part in the Netherlands (NL Tech) Pavilions, January 5 – 8 in Las Vegas at CES 2023, the global stage for innovation.

Dutch ingenuity and innovation has played a significant role in the world’s evolution over the past centuries. The 40 startup and 30 scale-up companies participating in the NL Pavilions at CES 2023 focus heavily on “Tech for a Responsible Future” and span a wide berth of tech categories that will define future economies, including: sustainability, electric and solar powered vehicles, battery tech, smart cities and smart homes, energy storage, health and wellness, AI and quantum computing, AR/VR, robotics, sensors and more. The Netherlands Startup Pavilion will be located in Eureka Park (Hall G, Booth 62100) in the Venetian Expo, and the Netherlands Next Level Pavilion will be located upstairs in the Venetian Expo(Hall A-C, Booth 55332). Preview the CES 2023 NL Tech Pavilion companies here.

The Netherlands is one of Europe’s largest technology hubs, with 2.6 times as many startups per-one-million residents as the European average — and is ranked among the top five globally in terms of public technology companies in total market capitalization. “The Netherlands sees entrepreneurship and innovation as essential to address the world’s most urgent challenges,” said HRH Prince Constantijn van Oranje, Special Envoy to Techleap.nl. “The presentation of 70 impact ventures at the NL Pavilions at CES 2023 demonstrates the Netherlands’ ambition to lead positive societal change. Over the years we have experienced that CES offers an outstanding opportunity for our Dutch startups and scale-ups to engage with an international audience of like-minded tech entrepreneurs, investors, potential partners and the media.”

The 70 Dutch technology companies and their solutions featured at CES 2023 include:
SUSTAINABILITY AND CIRCULARITY:

  • AgXeed: Designs, builds and delivers autonomous units for agriculture. (Startup)
  • CarbonX: New carbon material that helps tire makers meet the increasing demand for sustainability, safety and performance. (Startup)
  • Dayrize: The global leader for rapid climate impact assessment of consumer products.(Startup)
  • GSES: One-stop sustainability platform, translating over 550 existing international sustainability standards into a universal score and explanation. (Scale-up)
  • iTapToo: A zero-waste solution to refill bottles with a healthy & delicious alternative to traditional sodas. (Startup)
  • Leadax: Manufacturers of highly circular and sustainable flat roofing made from unusable plastic waste. (Scale-up)
  • OneThird: Predicts shelf-life of fresh produce, enabling real-time decisions in the food supply chain and prevents food waste. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • Orbisk: Monitors and reduces food waste in professional kitchens by employing progressive AI technology that improves sustainability and profitability. (Startup)
  • RanMarine: Developer of the patented WasteShark, the world’s first autonomous aquadrone that cleans pollution from waterways and collects data about water quality. (Scale-up)
  • Steambox Self-heating, rechargeable lunch box that allows you to enjoy a hot meal anywhere, anytime. (Startup)
  • Wastewatchers: AI-driven forecasting and food waste monitoring for food service companies. (Startup)

ENERGY TRANSITION AND BATTERY TECHNOLOGY:

  • Advanced Climate Systems: Next-gen building intelligence for installation and property management. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • eLstar Dynamics: Patented technology for manufacturing the world’s most effective, versatile, attainable dynamic glass. (Startup)
  • Greener Power Solutions: Reduces the CO2 footprint of temporary power markets by using its own fleet of large batteries and in-house energy management software. (Scale-up)
  • Ixora: Manufacturer of future generation electronic and immersion cooling technologies that contribute to the energy transition. (Scale-up)
  • LeydenJar: Creator of a sustainable super battery that uses ultra-thin pure silicon battery anodes to produce Li-Ion batteries that possess 70% more energy density than current battery designs, and produce a lower CO2 footprint with significant cost savings. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • Nowi: A semiconductor company that specializes in the development of energy-harvesting power management technology for consumer electronics and IoT devices. (Scale-up)
  • Supersola: Plug-and-play solar panels. Works on wall sockets worldwide. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree).

HEALTH, SPORTS AND SAFETY:

  • Alphabeats: EEG-based mental training that uses music and neurofeedback to improve performance in elite athletes. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • Absolute Audio Labs (AAL): Audio software for the hearing impaired. (Scale-up)
  • AYAVAYA: A “magic cabin” that uses patented, scientifically-tested technology to reduce stress and recharge the user’s energy, focus and mental balance within 20 minutes. (Startup)
  • ChatLicense: AI-powered gamified platform to make a diploma part of owning a smartphone. (Startup)
  • Crdl: Human-centered interaction design to create meaningful connections between people with physical or cognitive impairment and their caregivers. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • Kepler Vision: AI-powered sensor technology that recognizes falls in elderly care within less than one minute; the most reliable fall detection technology in healthcare. (Scale-up)
  • Moovd: Bridges the gap between the growing (digital) healthcare needs of patients who don’t have therapists and the lack of psychologists. (Startup)
  • Neurocast: True, passive patient monitoring that provides doctors and researchers with 24/7 digital biomarkers for measuring patient performance based on real-world evidence. GDPR and HIPAA compliant and ISO 27001 certified. (Startup)
  • Nostics: Instant, accessible, reliable testing for viruses and bacteria, including the world’s smallest portable bacteria identification lab that uses cloud-based, machine learning algorithms to identify bacterial species in five minutes, without the need for expert users or expensive lab infrastructure. (Startup)
  • ​​NOWATCH: The world’s first ‘Awareable’ – a wrist-worn health device and app that combines bio-tracking with mindfulness and real-time feedback about movement, sleep, stress and recovery tools to restore balance faster and help you live in the NOW. (Startup)
  • SmartQare: Medical 24/7 monitoring solution for data-driven clinical decision support in remote patient care. (Startup)
  • SOVN: In-ear wearable that detects and reduces excessive teeth grinding and clenching. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • TrueKinetix: Invented and launched the world’s first robotic smart bike. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • VRelax: Scientifically-validated virtual reality app to relieve stress and improve mental health. (Startup)

AR/VR:

  • Dimenco: Simulated Reality (SR) display technology that allows you to experience virtual 3D objects in your own environment — without the use of glasses or other wearables. (Scale-up)
  • Xinaps: Deliver cloud-based solutions for the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry to improve the quality of building data and contribute to a more efficient and simpler building process. (Startup)

SMART CITIES AND SMART MOBILITY:

  • Hydraloop: Integrating clean tech, decentralized water recycling solutions in residential and commercial real estate to solve a growing worldwide scarcity of freshwater supply. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • Squad Mobility: The world’s first Solar City Car for sharing and private use. The ultimate smart urban mobility solution for emissions, congestion and parking. (Scale-up)
  • Trunkrs: Same and next-day delivery service striving for 100% emission-free delivery. (Scale-up)

5G, IOT, COMMUNICATIONS AND SPACE:

  • Capestone: One-stop-shop distributor and service provider of 5G, IoT and AR hardware and connectivity. (Scale-up)
  • Dexper Digital Events: VOD platform that streamlines hosting world-class digital events. (Scale-up)
  • Homey: Unifies all smart home products in a single smart home hub. (Scale-up)
  • InPhocal: A unique, concentric laser beam that reduces the need for ink and is 2.5 times faster than printing. (Startup)
  • Livery Video: an irresistibly fun, shoppable and engaging video platform for businesses, media and influencers. (Startup)
  • Nuwa: A magical new way to write digitally. Groundbreaking camera system for stunning details. Powered by the world’s most efficient 5 mm chip. (Startup)
  • Occam Dx: A disruptive, real-time, accurate diagnostic platform using simple nanoelectronics that can detect a single virus particle. (Startup)
  • SODAQ: Durable tracking and sensing solutions, producing solar-powered IoT hardware for enterprise-sized deployments. (Scale-up)
  • Tradecast: The Tradecast Video Management System brings industry-leading tools to every content owner looking to become an independent broadcaster. (Scale-up)
  • Whispp: AI-powered speech technology that converts whispered speech into the person’s natural voice, wíth the intonation and emotion you intended, in real time. (Startup)

NANOTECHNOLOGY, SENSORS, DRONES AND ROBOTS:

  • Addoptics: Scale prototyping and production with affordable, industrial-quality optics. (Scale-up)
  • MantiSpectra: NIR (Near Infrared) spectroscopy on a miniaturized spectral chip that can accurately measure material properties in real-time using just light. Enables portable NIR spectroscopy. (Startup)
  • Morphotonics: Nanotechnology for micro and nano-scale surfaces for nextgen mobile device screens, immersive AR glasses, higher efficiency solar panels and high-accuracy sensors. (Scale-up)
  • Sorama: Ground-breaking acoustic cameras used globally within OEM and R&D acoustic, design departments, noise reduction, smart cities, smart stadiums and industrial inspection. (Scale-up)
  • Starnus Technology: Developers of a highly flexible autonomous mobile robot (AMR) solution, which allows third-party logistics (3PL) companies to deal with their rapidly changing operations. (Startup)

AI, BIG DATA, BLOCKCHAIN AND SECURITY:

  • BrainCreators: AI-powered digital inspector. (Scale-up)
  • Bubl Cloud: Restarting privacy safe innovation on personal data, by enabling innovators to create privacy-safe services in the cloud. (Startup)
  • IntrinsicID: Provider of security IP for embedded systems based on Physical Unclonable Functions (PUF) technology. (Scale-up)
  • Naya: Develops an ecosystem that empowers digital creators. Naya Create is a modular keyboard that increases efficiency, flexibility and health. (Startup)
  • TokenMe: Breakthrough construction-monitoring solution, improving productivity, safety and security using mobile sensors, AI and real-time dashboard. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)

QUANTUM COMPUTING AND INTEGRATED PHOTONICS:

  • Quix Quantum: The world’s most powerful Quantum Photonic Processor for photonic quantum computing and information processing. (Scale-up)
  • Sencure: Medical device company that develops high-end chips and medical wearables to accelerate and improve remote-patient monitoring. (Startup)

EDTECH:

  • RobotWise: Interactive, gamified programs for talent development with social robots as a tool, for schools and organizations. (Startup)

ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS:

  • Budget2Pay: A B2B digital platform that connects supply and demand together in a paperless world. (Startup)
  • UpMarqt: Accurately matches businesses with freelance talent within minutes. (Startup)

FUTURE OF WORK:

  • BUBTY: Flexible workforce management in a single system. (Startup)
  • DialogueTrainer: Nexten simulation platform for conversation training. (Scale-up and CES Innovation Award Honoree)
  • EZ Factory: SaaS-based platform for optimizing operational effectiveness and efficiency of factory floor operations. (Scale-up)
  • WorkBoost: WorkBoost app and dashboard are a micro-activation and feedback software system designed to provide managers, consultants and coaches the necessary insights to maximize engagement. (Startup and CES Innovation Award Honoree)

Interested media and analysts who want to schedule an interview before or during CES 2023, please contact NLatCES2023@wearemgp.com.

About The Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands strives to solve societal and economic challenges with local and international partners. The country ranks sixth on the Global Innovation Index, and Amsterdam is one of the fastest growing ecosystems in Europe. As a trading nation, the Netherlands has continuously ranked as one of the top five foreign investors in the U.S. for multiple years, making the Netherlands the number one country with which the U.S. maintains a trade surplus. More than 955K jobs in the United States are the result of the strong economic relations with the Netherlands.

The Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco, in partnership with Holland in the Valley and the Dutch ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area, empowers Dutch entrepreneurs and talent to innovate and scale in the U.S. by offering a network, content and programs. Learn more at United States | Netherlandsandyou.nl.

See the article on Cision PRWeb

Interview with RanMarine

RanMarine is the creator of the world’s first commercially available marine drone that collects both waste and data from the world’s waterways. It’s line of industrial remote controlled and autonomous “Sharks” help government bodies and companies concerned with the economic, regulatory, and aesthetic impact of polluted water efficiently remove surface trash and biomass while preventing imbalances in their marine environments.

From estuaries and urban ports to inland rivers and lakes, RanMarine’s multipurpose drones incorporating advanced AI are inspired by nature and restore waterways back to their natural state with zero emissions, limited noise, and a fraction of the investment compared to other methods.

Interview with Richard Hardiman, CEO of RanMarine Technology.

Easy Engineering:  What are the main areas of activity of the company?

Richard Hardiman: RanMarine Technology is an autonomous robotics scale-up specialising in the autonomy of vessels/Aqua-drones on water to clean waste from our waterways.

E.E: What’s the news about new products?

R.H: RanMarine is launching a larger version which is capable of removing 1 ton of  waste in a single load, this has been developed over the last few years and will be on sale towards the end of 2022.  We are also developing a docking station which houses up to 5 WasteSharks at a time, empties their baskets automatically and recharges them making it a total autonomous solution where humans are only required for oversight.

E.E: What are the ranges of products? 

R.H: Our primary product, using the company’s proprietary autonomy and robotics software, is the WasteShark. The WasteShark is designed to robotically harvest plastic and biomass waste from urban waterways in smart cities, ports and harbours. Additionally, to waste harvesting the drone also collects water quality data and depth measurements. The RanMarine team is constantly researching and developing new products and expect to launch new products in the coming months.

Richard Hardiman, CEO of RanMarine Technology

E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active? 

R.H: The market is still in early stages and more focus is now being placed on biomass and plastic waste and there are very few competitors  in the market but this is growing.  More and more companies are coming with solutions.

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?  

R.H: There are a number of companies in and around Europe researching and developing solutions to clean waste from waterways.  We have been successful in that our product can be operated autonomously as well as manually and can move in tight spaces.

E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?  

R.H: The WasteShark is the first in its kind as an autonomous robot removing plastic waste.  Other solutions in the market trying to address the issue of plastic waste are The Ocean Cleanup and the Sea Bin.

E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?  

R.H: We have two new products, ready in prototype phase, which will be launched in the next 4-6 months.  In addition, we are looking to expand to the USA market and opening an office later this year.

Read the article on Easy Engineering