KITAKYUSHU -- The Kyushu Institute of Technology's Center for Socio-Robotic Synthesis is working to develop a robot vehicle that can help clean up beaches and other places.
The self-driving all-terrain vehicle follows a person around while the person loads it with garbage. It is expected to help reduce the burden on those who collect driftwood and other heavy debris.
"We'd like to present a model of cleaning beaches by utilizing robots," said a person at the robotics center in Wakamatsu Ward, Kitakyushu.
The robot is 1.4 meters long and weighs 120 kilograms. It is equipped with a camera and a sensor that recognizes targets, as well as a basket to hold garbage. It automatically follows a person who is designated as its guide.
In November, an organization affiliated with the Kitakyushu city government asked the center to develop the robot as a way to solve a garbage problem on the coast. The organization aims to develop technology to manage robots' travel motions over uneven terrain.
The center said a robot used to help clean beaches is rare.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
A robot vehicle carrying collected garbage follows students around during a test cruise on a beach.
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