Autonomous and Solar-Powered Surface Water Waste Cleaning Robot

Abstract

Water pollution causedbyfloatinggarbagehasemergedasapressingenvironmentalchallengeaffectinglakesandponds through out the nation. Manual removal ofthisdebris remains labor-intensive,unpleasant,and largelyimpracticalfor widespread implementation.Thisrealitypromptedourteamtoinvestigatewhetherautomationcouldprovideamoresustainablesolutiontothis persistent problem. Our research and development journey involved extensive experimentation with various electrical motors, photovoltaic panels, programmable microcontrollers, and waterproof housing materials. The outcome was an autonomous floating vessel capable of independentnavigation whilecollectingsurfacewaste through anintegratedconveyorbelt mechanism.Theentiresystemoperates exclusively on solar energy, eliminating dependency on conventional power sources. Comprehensive field testing evaluated performance using diverse waste materials including plastic bottles, food wrappers, fallen leaves,andstyrofoamcups.Thedevice successfullycapturedandcontainedmostdebristypeswithout significantdifficulty.Energy performanceexceededinitialexpectations,withsufficientsunlightenablingnearlycontinuousoperationthroughoutdaylighthours without battery depletion concerns. However, development was not without challenges. Heavier debris occasionally caused mechanical jams within the conveyor system, requiring design modifications. Additionally, strong wind conditions sometimes pushed the vessel away from intended navigation paths, highlighting the need for improved stabilization features. Despite these obstacles, this academic project evolved into something with genuine real-world applicability. We believe that with continuedrefinement,thissolar-poweredwastecollectionrobotcouldserveasaneffectivetoolforrestoringcleanlinessto polluted water bodies across the country, offering an environmentally friendly approach to aquatic ecosystem preservation.

Introduction

The text describes the design, development, and testing of a solar-powered autonomous water-cleaning robot inspired by severe pollution observed at Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru. Manual cleanup and diesel-powered boats were found to be inefficient, costly, labor-intensive, and environmentally harmful, motivating the team to explore a robotic solution that could operate autonomously, sustainably, and at low cost.

After reviewing existing research, the team identified key gaps in prior work: many designs remained theoretical, while practical models struggled with storage capacity, sensor reliability, scalability, or affordability. Few systems successfully combined solar power, autonomous navigation, and mechanical debris collection into a single practical platform. This gap defined the project’s objective.

The proposed system is a catamaran-style floating robot equipped with propellers for movement, a conveyor belt to scoop floating waste into an onboard bin, solar panels for power, and sensors for obstacle avoidance. The robot integrates mechanical stability, efficient electrical power management using solar energy and batteries, and an ESP32-based control system with ultrasonic sensors, compass, GPS, and wireless communication.

A structured methodology was followed, including requirement definition, parallel mechanical–electrical–software development, modular firmware design, and finite state machine–based navigation. Multiple navigation patterns were implemented to suit different lake shapes, with obstacle avoidance taking priority.

Testing results showed that the robot was stable, maneuverable, and effective at collecting common floating debris such as plastic bottles, wrappers, and plant matter. Solar power was sufficient for several hours of operation, especially under strong sunlight. Challenges included difficulty handling heavy debris, sensor inconsistencies in open lake conditions, wind-induced drift, and occasional GPS inaccuracies.

Overall, the project demonstrated that an affordable, solar-powered autonomous robot for cleaning water bodies is feasible in real-world conditions. While improvements are needed, the prototype validated the concept and highlighted clear directions for future refinement and scaling.

Conclusion

Whatstartedasfrustrationwithasmellylakebecamemonthsoflatenightsarguingoverhullshapes,meltingourfingersonsolderingirons,andcheeringwhentherobotfinallyscoopeditsfirstbottlewithoutsinking.Alongtheway,welearnedthatbuildingsomething real beats reading about it any day. Our robot demonstrates that autonomous, solar-powered water cleanup is achievable without exotic materials or astronomical budgets. Twin hulls keep it stable, solar panels keep it fed, conveyors keep debris moving, and simplesensorskeep itout oftrouble. Municipalbodieslookingfor affordablecleaningoptionsmight findplatformslikethisworth alook. Plentyofroughedgesremain. Heavydebrisstilldefeatstheconveyor.Currentsandwindpushharderthanourmotorsprefer. GPSwandersmorethan we’d like. Fixingtheseflaws will takeanother round ofdesign, fabrication,andtestingwork We’reeager to continue.

References

[1] A.B.Tatar,A.K.Tanyildizi,andB.Tasar,“AConceptualDesignofSolar-PoweredWaterSurfaceGarbageCleaningRobot,” in Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (ICAIR), 2023. [2] M.ManikandaandC.Rajasekaran,“DesignofSensorAssistedLakeWaterCleaningRobotUsingIoT,”inProc.3rdInt.Conf. Intelligent Communication Technologies (ICICV), 2023. [3] K.Subhashinietal.,“AutonomousFloatingDebrisCollectionSystemforWaterSurfaceCleaning,”inProc.Int.Conf. Sustainable Environmental Solutions (ICSES), 2024. [4] R.K. Megalingam et al., “Simulation of Autonomous Water Tank Cleaning Robotin Gazebo,” inProc.Int. Conf. Power, Energy, Control and Transmission Systems, 2022. [5] S. Kong et al., “Intelligent Water Surface Cleaner Robot for Floating Garbage Collection,” IEEE Trans. Systems, Man, and Cybernetics:Systems, 2021.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Srajan ., Dr. Kavitha A. S., Rajath Ganesh B V, Sathyanarayanachari D, Srinivas N D. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.