Cutting-Edge Technology Cleans Waterways
BY JON FULLER WISCONSIN, SPECTRUM NEWS 1
PUBLISHED 5:43 PM ET JUL. 14, 2023
MANITOWOC, Wis. — All was quiet on a Manitowoc shoreline right before what some dubbed as the ’Sandboni,’ followed by operator Amanda Hoehn, went into cleanup mode.
The BeBot beach cleaning robot collects and shakes sand, which filters through the machine, leaving behind trash in its catch bin.
“We pick up from probably running an hour or so at each beach. I’d say average half a kilo of garbage each time,” said Hoehn.
A natural sciences and biology student at St. Norbert College, Hoehn said they once picked up 220 cigarette butts within an hour. After July 4, the BeBot was especially busy.
“We did pick up a lot of firework residue, but there were things like shoes, cans, bottles, food wrappers,” said Hoehn.
She’s one of about 50 students working through UW Oshkosh’s Environmental Research & Innovation Center, or ERIC.
ERIC Director Greg Kleinheinz and students showed off the innovative technology they use to clean local waters.
“We have students from 11 different universities that work on our various projects. They’re able to live and work in the communities where these technologies are being deployed,” said Kleinheinz.
Last May, Spectrum News 1 introduced viewers to the marine debris boat days before it launched.
After over a year of operation, the crew showed off a recovered tire and an old stove taken from the water.