Introducing BeBot, the Florida Space Coast’s Resident Beach-Cleaning Robot
Courtesy of Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism
While Florida’s Space Coast is best known for its booming aerospace industry, rocket ships are far from the only technological wonder found across the region. Down on earth, one particularly fascinating invention is working tirelessly to improve the surrounding environment. Officially launched in 2022, BeBot is the latest groundbreaking device to grace the shores of Brevard County, offering an innovative solution to the east coast's looming plastic pollution problem.
The first of its kind to take to Florida's beaches, BeBot is a 100% electric, solar-powered operating robot, functioning off of two 12-volt batteries and a solar panel to assist in recharging. Bebot is designed to prevent waste from reaching the ocean, programmed to comb the beach and capture all garbage and microplastics lying around the coastline. To date, BeBot has removed over 145 tons of garbage, proving its beachside efficiency to locals in the Sunshine State.
Developed by 4ocean and manufactured by Poralu Marine, BeBot was the first Poralu device of its robotic family known as the Searial Cleaners, a roster of conservation-focused vehicles that includes the Pixie Drone, Invisibubble, X-boat and Collec’Thor.
4ocean is best known as a clothing brand providing shoppers with eco-friendly shirts, bracelets, and necklaces, yet the organization is also marked by its steadfast devotion to ending the plastic crisis. The goal of BeBot is to stop beachside pollution and reestablish clean waters for all inhabitants through innovative, safe and effective technologies. This beach cleaning robot is remote controlled, and can target plastic bottles, cigarette butts, cardboard, and more. It's capable of operating beyond beaches, however, showing effectiveness on other terrains ranging from golf courses to nature reserves.
BeBot has proven to be friendly to the environment in more than just its daily tasks, but by its efficient means of operation as well. This pint-sized robot does not produce nautical or greenhouse gas emissions, and 4ocean notes that BeBot is capable of cleaning up to 32,000 square feet of beach per hour. BeBot has a handful of additional capabilities that go beyond beachcombing, with available attachments that help to rake algae, seaweed, and even carry equipment or bags for beach goers as needed.
Additionally, the robot has a 900 pound towing capacity once the sand sifter is removed, capable of dragging not only chairs and umbrellas across the beach, but even jet skis or a small boat. 4ocean states that BeBot can be driven by a remote operator to the “dump area,”—which will differ by beach—though they note the importance of picking through the waste, stating that the machine “cannot distinguish the difference between microplastic, sand, seashells, or possibly organic material.”
While the Space Coast has made great strides in exploring our outer cosmos, there's no shortage of environmental issues to address back below the exosphere—but fortunately, innovative solutions like BeBot are working to preserve the beauty of the Sunshine State's sprawling eastern shore. For now, the robot is primarily targeting hotels, resorts, and smaller beachfront communities, with hopes to remind humans of the harms consistently associated with day trips or vacations to the beach. With any luck, the machine will see further launches on beaches all across both U.S. coasts, offering a much-needed helping hand to humanity as we aim to cleanse our ecosystems of plastic waste.
Courtesy of Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism