If you see a miniature tank moving around on the beach, do not be alarmed. It’s a robot invented by 3 students from the Diploma in Clean Energy to pick up litter.

Called the “Autonomous Beach Cleaning Robot”, the solar-powered device prowls the beach on its own and scoops up the sand – including litter such as cigarette butts. As the sand passes through the robot, it filters through a metal sieve and falls back onto the ground, while a moving brush sweeps the litter trapped on the sieve into a trash box at the back of the machine. Equipped with ultrasonic sensors, the robot is able to detect and avoid obstacles in front of it as it manoeuvres on the beach.

This unique invention won the students a Merit award as well as the Best Team award in the annual Green Wave Environmental Care competition organised by Sembcorp Marine Ltd in November 2019.

The project is an example of how students in TP’s Diploma in Clean Energy apply their knowledge to come up with innovative and practical inventions that benefit the environment.