Cypriot scientists are participating in the first European research on the development of an Autonomous Robotic System for the detection of marine debris, according to a relevant announcement by the AKTI Center for Studies and Research. As mentioned, this is a new, innovative European project that started in the new year, SeaClear 2.0, which aims to solve the problem of garbage on the seabed and on the surface of the sea with robotic technologies.
Using artificial intelligence, the robots will be able to autonomously identify, locate and collect the waste. At the same time, the project incorporates modern methods to activate the citizens of Europe, implementing citizen science actions. With almost half a billion tonnes of plastics entering European seas each year, technological solutions to detect and remove waste must be combined with social interventions to prevent and reduce the production and release of waste by citizens themselves.< /p>
According to Marine Engineer Dr. Xenia I. Loizidou, Director of the Cypriot research company ISOTECH Ltd, which is a partner in this project, “our seas have become landfills and we must all make the effort together that is needed to reverse the catastrophic course leading to the collapse of marine ecosystems”.
The Cypriot scientific team leads the development of policy recommendations and the implementation of social interventions throughout the Mediterranean to prevent and reduce the generation and inappropriate disposal of waste.
The SeaClear 2.0 project is to deploy a fleet of smart robots, using artificial intelligence, to detect and remove marine debris using a combination of aerial drones, underwater rovers, autonomous surface ships and purpose-built robotic grapples, the announcement added.
The technological core of SeaClear 2.0 consists of highly upgraded software for automated debris collection, which can go deeper, lift heavier debris and also collect surface debris. It uses high-resolution sonar, electromagnetic sensors and sensors to detect microplastics. A smart and flexible grab and a collection float are to be developed to collect and transport the large trash ashore, it added.
The SeaClear 2.0 project is funded by the EU's Horizon Europe research framework with a total budget which amounts to € 9,086,305. The research consortium consists of 13 partners from 9 countries, with a range of expertise from robotics and artificial intelligence to waste management and participatory processes. It is the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands that coordinates the project, the Cypriot Isotech Environmental Research Consultants, the Regional Organization Dunea and the University of Dubrovnik in Croatia, from Germany the Technical University of Munich, Fraunhofer and the Port Hamburg Authority, M.Danchor from Israel, the French companies Subsea Tech and Veolia, the Spanish TecnoSub, the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and the Italian Venice Lagoon Plastic Free Organization, the announcement concludes.
