Autonomous Water Cleaner (lagoon skimmer)

Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering

Overview

Plastic waste within the water takes approximately 200-400 years to break down, all the while releasing micro-plastics into the environment. The objective of this project is to design a low-cost autonomous water cleaning vessel in an effort to reduce plastic waste and protect Florida’s waterways. Our vessel is a catamaran style boat, with a conveyor belt in between the hulls to collect waste and deposit it in the on-board waste bin. The vessel achieves automation utilizing GPS/Telemetry chips in conjunction with the “Mission Planner” software.

Community Benefit: Typical methods of removing waste from waterways require crewed vessels or stationary machines that require flowing water to be redirected towards the machine. Automating waste removal is a proactive way to improve the environment and stop plastic waste from reaching the ocean.

Team Members

• Matthew Alberto
• Raaef Azer
• Luke Palazzi
  
• Agostino Scanu
• Oren Tweg
• Rudy Paul

Sponsor

FAU I-SENSE and FAU Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry