Robots Are Invading Beaches In Michigan and Ohio For Litter Patrol
Skynet is REAL, and the Robots are popping up EVERYWHERE, And now, they're on our own shores in Michigan!!!
*Terminator Theme Plays in Head*
Oh... well, actually... not so much. These robots on the beach in Michigan are actually doing some good by cleaning up our trash... but they're not happy about it, I'm sure.
(See them in Action below)
"Pixidrone" and "BeBot" made their debut on a beach in Muskegon this week, and their sole goal is to help clean up our trash, which has become a problem on the Great Lakes beaches as of late.
The litter-bots run on battery and Solar energy. No word on if they'll be a daily release on the beaches, or just as necessary. But right now, they're just being tested. Specifically in Michigan, they're at Pere Marquette Beach. But there are plans to expand to other beaches in the state, as well as in Ohio and Wisconsin.
The robots were designed by a French company, and funded through a corporate stewardship program, and are mostly designed to pick up smaller stuff like bottle caps, cigarette butts, straws, cups, bottles, and any other smaller item left behind.
One of the robots, the "BeBot," is designed to skim the sand on the beach, essentially acting as a giant comb to pick up all the little items. Another robot, The "PixieDrone," is designed to float out in the water, and pick up small items floating near the top of the water.
Alan Steinman is the director of the Grand Valley State University Annis Water Resources Institute in Muskegon, and said the robots only cover a small area, but are meant more for a visual perception and education.
"In certain areas, like marinas or yacht clubs, I think they can really make an educational difference because it's such cool technology."
Other locations expected to get a pair of the litter-bots include Traverse City in Michigan, Manitowoc and Sheboygan in Wisconsin, and Cleveland in Ohio, who also expects to have two more cities added by next spring.