It is rectangular, covered with solar panels, can slip in anywhere and can manoeuvre in all directions. In a word, it is unique! Its name is Recyclamer, a solar-powered robot capable of cleaning up aquatic environments by collecting both solid and liquid waste.
The Recyclamer project, which has since been re-christened Recyclamer Innovation, came into being in 2016, under the leadership of Alan d’Alfonso Peral, an Argentinean native who emigrated to the Limousin region in France. During a dive into the waste-polluted waters off the coast of Marseille, this man passionate about rugby and the sea came up with the idea of trying to capture waste before it sinks rather than letting it accumulate on the seabed?
A robot to remove pollution
He first set up an association to raise public awareness about port clean-up, then began manufacturing the first floating garbage can equipped with solar panels. The association was then converted into a start-up and, in partnership with the University of Limoges and the Peirene laboratory, it developed the Recyclamer, an autonomous solar-powered robot that collects liquid and solid waste on the surface of the water: a patented decontamination system specifically dedicated to aquatic areas and allowing water to be filtered continuously without the slightest CO2 emission.
A marvel of technology
Intended for cleaning aquatic (lakes, ponds), coastal and port areas, the Recyclamer is a small technological marvel equipped with flexible solar panels giving it 60 hours of autonomy, a suction turbine located on the water surface that recovers waste and filters the water, sensors that measure the oxygen concentration and collect data on the waste present.
Two patents have been filed: the steering system that allows the device to reverse and the plant filter, a very valuable innovation on a global scale, according to its designer. It can collect up to 200 litres of floating waste and sends a message when it is full. The Recyclamer will be available in 3 different sizes, depending on the aquatic areas to be cleaned.
The young start-up has set itself the goal of collecting 100 tons of waste in 2020 and ½ a ton of oil and fuel. To date, it has already received 17 orders from French and foreign ports.
More information: www.recyclamer-innovation.com
To learn more on how plastics have enabled innovation, see plastics-themag.com