River Cleaner Boat: Autonomous Cleaner for Rivers

Abstract

The innovative River Cleaner Boat Paper aims to address the growing issue of plastic waste, floating debris, and organic matter contaminating river water. The goal of this Paper is to create an automated or semi-automated boat with a conveyor or collecting net to effectively remove waste from the water\'s surface. The boat aims to operate with minimal impact on the environment because it is powered by renewable energy sources like batteries or solar panels. The primary objective is to promote sustainable water resource management, safeguard aquatic ecosystems, and reduce water pollution. This Paper combines principles of mechanical design, automation, and environmental science, offering a practical solution to one of the most pressing ecological issues facing urban and rural waterways.

Introduction

Rivers are crucial natural resources, but increasing urbanization and human negligence have turned them into polluted waterways filled with sewage and plastic waste. Traditional manual cleaning methods are inefficient and unsafe. To combat this, the proposed River Cleaner Boat is an autonomous, eco-friendly robotic system that removes floating waste while providing live video surveillance for real-time environmental monitoring.

Key Features

• Autonomous Operation: Navigates river surfaces independently using onboard motors and sensors.

• Waste Collection: Uses a conveyor belt or net to gather floating plastic and organic waste.

• Live Surveillance: ESP32-CAM enables real-time video streaming to monitor river conditions.

• Sensor Integration:

  • PIR & Ultrasonic Sensors for detecting and classifying floating waste.

  • Bin-level monitoring alerts operators when the trash bin is full.

• Eco-Friendly Design: Powered by batteries; potential integration with renewable sources like solar.

Problem Addressed

• Rising pollution in rivers from land-based waste, tourism, and industrial activities.

• Health risks and environmental damage caused by untreated water pollution.

• Labor-intensive, inefficient, and unsafe traditional cleaning methods.

Methodology

• Built on a stable floating platform.

• Uses ultrasonic sensors to detect waste and avoid large obstacles.

• Controlled via microcontroller for autonomous function; also supports remote monitoring via the Internet of Things (IoT).

• Designed for stagnant and flowing water bodies alike.

Literature Support

• Builds on existing research using ESP32-CAM, conveyor systems, image processing, and IoT.

• Related works have demonstrated the potential for solar-powered bots, CNN-based waste classification, and remote-controlled boats for water cleaning.

Objectives

• Reduce river pollution and improve water quality.

• Minimize human labor and health risks.

• Record and report the amount of waste collected.

• Raise awareness and contribute to sustainable environmental practices.

Scope

1. Reduce manpower and time required for cleaning.

2. Enable fast, reliable, and automated cleaning.

3. Provide live monitoring and data for decision-making.

4. Support public health and aquatic biodiversity protection.

Conclusion

In water bodies, this device detects waste objects like plastic bags and other floating waste. It aids in the purification of water and makes the environment cleaner. It not only creates a clean environment but also cuts down on the amount of labor required to clean any body of water. The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of improper waste disposal in water bodies. Using PIR sensor we can detect floating waste on water bodies and extent of pollution caused by unwanted toxic disposal from the waste which is floating on water.

References

[1] Dr. R.H. Parikh, Rudrani Pofali, Rishikesh Telpande, Suyash jain, Shubham Patankar, Sudarshan Dhoke. (2021). Design and Fabrication of Solar Operated River Water Cleaner. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), 8(3), 1095–1100. [2] T. Anilkumar, V. Abhiram, K. Sampath Kumar, R. Yashwanth Sai Ganesh, U. Bhavani Prasad, P. Aditya Raj. (2024). Surface Water Cleaning Robot (SWCR) for Sustainable Environmental Protection. International Journal of Scientific Research & Engineering Trends (IJSRET), 10(5), 2208–2212. [3] Hafizudin Fikri Khairudin, Suziana Ahmad, Mohd Zaidi Mohd Tumari, Amirul Syafiq Sadun, Izadora Mustaffa. (2024). IoT-based Water Surface Cleaning Robot with Live Streaming. https://doi.org/10.15199/48.2024.02.35 [4] Sanket Suhas Koli. (2025). IoT Based River Cleaning Robot. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 6(3), 8265–8269. Retrieved from http://www.ijrpr.com [5] Divya Pullivarthi, Shweta Raut, Sakshi Maurya, Poonam Dhole, “Multiple Object Detection, Object Tracking, Lane Tracking, and Motion Detection Shadow Robot Based on Computer Vision”, International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation (IJRTI), Vol. 8, Issue 5, 2023. [ISSN: 2456-3315]. [6] Hrishikesh Deshpande, Dnyaneshwari Zite,Sakshi bagul,Dr. Vineeta Philip, “Surveillance Robot Using ESP 32 CAM”, International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), Vol. 12, Issue 4, April 2024. [ISSN: 2320-2882]. [7] Prof MS.A. Sujatha Reddy, T. Gayathri, Ch. Sharanya, O. Hanisha, “River Surface Cleaning Water Boat”, International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), Vol. 11, Issue 5, May 2023. [ISSN: 2320-2882]. [8] Prof Anas M M, Athira M, Anugraha Suresh, Archana K, Maneesha Shaji, “Water Cleaning Bot with Waste Segregation Using Image Processing”, International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), Vol. 8, Issue 7, December 2021. [ISSN: 2349-6002].

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Kanyakumari R Kann, Aishwarya , Bindushree , Kavya S H. 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.