Eco tech: WasteShark water drone eats garbage and collects environmental data

As India’s environmental and waste problems mount and the momentum of ‘Swachh Bharat’ making significant strides, a new product has arrived to aid this Herculean task. 

Vectra Advanced Engineering Private Limited (VAEPL) is bringing to India the WasteShark®, a water drone developed by RanMarine Technology BV of Netherlands to simultaneously eat garbage and collect environmental data.

The WasteShark is an emission-free drone that can clear waste, chemicals, and even intrusive vegetation from your water. In addition to floating debris, the WasteShark also collects micro-plastics, one of the most difficult pieces of pollution which we need to remove from entering the sea.

Through its constant collection of waste, the drone prevents pollution from travelling down the water column and being deposited on the floor. WasteShark can hold up to 300kgs at a time, before returning to a collection area where the waste can be processed.

VAEPL (an ISO Certified Company) is committed to manufacturing products to help with the mammoth task of Garbage Collection and Cleaning, whether it be sewers, streets or polluted water bodies. The WasteShark will be added to Vectra’s stable of Skid Steer machines with over 20 attachments and Garbage Compactors. 

The Company is committed to bring in world class products with cutting edge technology. It is doing so by collaborating with world’s leading companies and then produces high grade products within India. With its Offices at Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi & manufacturing facility at Greater Noida it proudly contributes to the Nation building and saving the environment at the same time.

“The WasteShark is just what India requires to maintain its rivers, lakes and ports to ensure we never go back to the state of toxicity and filth that we have put up with for years” says Dilip Magee, GM – Sales & Marketing.

This amazing drone is inspired by nature’s own whale shark. Blending technology, form and function, the WasteShark isdesigned to swim through water and eat its prey with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. It can pick up things like plastic, floating debris and even alien vegetation or invasive plants. 

WasteShark can pick up trash that's as deep as one foot below the surface. Once the trash is gathered, it's delivered to a collection point. The WasteShark can operate up to 16 hours per day and has been measured collecting waste at the rate of 1 kg per minute. 

It can check the water temperature, depth, oxygen content and many other data points with the installed sensors, so it can also help in improving and maintaining water quality. Users can steer the device with a remote control or an iPad, and its movements can betracked by a GPS signal. 

WasteShark is also fitted with a collision-avoidance system that uses laser imaging to spot nearby objects and adjust its positioning if it senses one.

In addition to collecting waste, the WasteShark also sends back valuable data to port authorities, including information on the quality of the water, the weather, and the depth of the harbour. The drone is capable of learning about its environment over time, becoming smart and more efficient at creating routes the longer it is in the water.

"At RanMarine we've always loved fine food, good cricket and vibrant colour, so India is very much a natural home for us! We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with Vectra and make a positive difference to India's health and well-being. We believe that what's good for India is great for Planet Earth," says Oliver Cunningham, Chief Commercial Officer at RanMarine.

Both Vectra and RanMarine are excited to be part of the waste solution and ‘Swachh Bharat’ initiative.