Developed by Polaru Marine, a global-leader in marine grade technologies, BeBot, the beach-cleaning robot arrived in Pinelllas County in July 2022. The Keep Pinellas Beautiful, a non-profit organization that focuses on environmental clean up, together with volunteers has led the demonstration of BeBot.
Beach-Cleaning Robot
BeBot is a fully electric machine that can clean up to 32,000 square feet in an hour! The white robot, which is about the size of a lawnmower, has a metal grate that shakes and vibrates, sifting through the sand and transfers larger particles of trash into a back compartment. The agile machine makes the machine more effective than collecting trash by hand. Moreover, it has smaller footprints and shallow cleaning depth that makes it clean trash effectively without disrupting nearby animals or habitats.
After the robot dumped its collection onto a blue tarp, the volunteers sorted the trash. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of trash that we found. It’s astonishing,” said Patricia DePlasco, executive director of Keep Pinellas Beautiful.
The beach-cleaning robot visited 14 locations, from Clearwater to St. Pete Beach.
“We’re hoping that people will be more mindful and help us to keep Pinellas beautiful,” DePlasco added.
