(InEDC) BY Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette Journal Published: 08/17/23 11:33 PM PST
What happens when you cross a mini-tank with a garbage truck?
The answer is BEBOT, a beach-cleaning robot designed to sift through sand to pick up litter and plastic left by beachgoers.
Designed by ECO-CLEAN Solutions, the BEBOT — short for “beach robot” — can sift through 32,000 square feet of sand per hour to find those nasty bits of trash.
Proponents of the BEBOT say the robot can do its work without degrading beach habitat, a key feature in continued efforts to keep Lake Tahoe’s water clear. The robot has gone through two summers of testing so far, recently helping with Fourth of July cleanup efforts at the alpine lake.
The BEBOT, short for “beach robot,” on cleaning duty at Tahoe Beach Club in Lake Tahoe on June 23, 2023.
What happens when you cross a mini-tank with a garbage truck?
The answer is BEBOT, a beach-cleaning robot designed to sift through sand to pick up litter and plastic left by beachgoers.
Designed by ECO-CLEAN Solutions, the BEBOT — short for “beach robot” — can sift through 32,000 square feet of sand per hour to find those nasty bits of trash.
Proponents of the BEBOT say the robot can do its work without degrading beach habitat, a key feature in continued efforts to keep Lake Tahoe’s water clear. The robot has gone through two summers of testing so far, recently helping with Fourth of July cleanup efforts at the alpine lake.
“In pilot testing last year, the BEBOT showed it can remove tiny, difficult to detect, hard to remove pieces of beach litter — like the trash that would otherwise become microplastics and find a permanent home in the lake,” said Laura Patten, League to Save Lake Tahoe senior science policy analyst, in a statement.
Plastic pollution is a big issue for Lake Tahoe, according to study
Microplastic pollution is a huge issue in lakes and reservoirs around the world, according to a study published this July in the journal Nature.
The study found that Lake Tahoe had the third-highest concentration of plastic debris out of 38 lakes tested worldwide. The study was led by Veronica Nava of the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy and a visiting postdoctoral scholar at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“The results are remarkable because they show the extent of plastic concentrations in freshwater systems even in remote and highly protected areas,” said Sudeep Chandra, professor of limnology and director of the Global Water Center at the University of Nevada, Reno.
How to see the BEBOT cleaning robot this week
For its next appearance, the BEBOT is scheduled to perform cleanup at Connelly Beach on Monday, Aug. 21, according to the city of South Lake Tahoe. The cleanup is being done in partnership with the Beach Retreat & Lodge.
Interested folks can check out the BEBOT in action from 9 to 10:30 a.m. during the cleanup, which is open to the public. Representatives of ECO-CLEAN Solutions and the League to Save Lake Tahoe will also be on hand to answer questions.
The city of South Lake Tahoe described the BEBOT as a “last line of defense” against beach litter.
“Microplastics continue to be a huge concern for Lake Tahoe, and we need to do everything possible to prevent any further harm,” said John Stark, parks and recreation director for South Lake Tahoe.
“This new and innovative technology to clean beaches helps us move in the right direction to preserving Lake Tahoe and reinforces the City’s commitment towards promoting a culture of stewardship.”
More information about BEBOT is available at keeptahoeblue.org/bebot and eco-cleansolutions.com
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