Coming to a dirty beach near you soon! Thailand's robotic trash collector

[webfact]

Coming to a dirty beach near you soon! Thailand's robotic trash collector

 

Picture: Daily News

 

It could be the answer to Thailand's dirty beaches - an eco-friendly robot trash cleaner made and designed by the kingdom's own bright engineers.

 

The device - that only lacks a catchy name - was rolled out on YouTube in a video that showed its remarkable capabilities.

 

Powered by electricity the remote controlled robot quietly sifts the sand for all manner of rubbish including bottles buried under the surface.

 

Though it doesn't seem to be smart enough to differentiate between shells and trash at this stage of development.

 

Described in a Daily News story as quick, efficient and compact the device can get into places other cleaners cannot.

 

And seeing as it was designed locally there is no need for expensive foreign imports.

 

It was designed by gas comapny PTT in collaboration with students at Songkhla Niran University in the south of Thailand.

 

Daily News said it would be ideal for clearing up after messy tourists.

 

Thaivisa invites posters to come up with a catchy name for what could be the answer to the problem of unclean beaches.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-13

 

[Aachen]

Messy tourists... Thais litter everywhere.

[khwaibah]

You have the correct idea but the unit needs to be larger.

 

 

[darksidedog]

17 minutes ago, webfact said:

Daily News said it would be ideal for clearing up after messy tourists.

Which implies it is only foreigners who leave trash behind on the beach. I look forward to the aquatic version that can sift out the floating (probably foreign), turds from the murky brown water too.

[jaywalker]

I wonder how long they'll last?

 

Hopefully longer than Pattaya's CCTV cameras.

[robblok]

I really don't get it, it cost 300 bt to have someone work for a day, how is this machine ever going to compete. The problem is not that nobody wants to do the work the problem is there is no budget for cleaning beaches and the like. 

[jaywalker]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I really don't get it, it cost 300 bt to have someone work for a day, how is this machine ever going to compete. The problem is not that nobody wants to do the work the problem is there is no budget for cleaning beaches and the like. 

They'll budget any amount if it means someone getting a kickback. 

 

Also the beach smokers can help pay for it.

[Bluespunk]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

It could be the answer to Thailand's dirty beaches - an eco-friendly robot trash cleaner made and designed by the kingdom's own bright engineers.

 

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Though it doesn't seem to be smart enough to differentiate between shells and trash at this stage of development.

Not that bright, then.

[Bluespunk]

56 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa invites posters to come up with a catchy name for what could be the answer to the problem of unclean beaches.

The ''Where the **** have all the shells gone from this beach not so bright device''.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Bluespunk

[Thaitoknow]

4 minutes ago, robblok said:

I really don't get it, it cost 300 bt to have someone work for a day, how is this machine ever going to compete. The problem is not that nobody wants to do the work the problem is there is no budget for cleaning beaches and the like. 

There are people to work but they arent going to do it properly.

Go round cleaning up leaves and brushing sand around while ignoring plastic bags and glass bottles.

[canuckamuck]

You could eliminate the expensive robotics and just hire a couple of guys with rakes. Or hook it to an ATV or garden tractor. No need for robotics. Most Thais have been trained as robots since age 3 or four.

[impulse]

48 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Daily News said it would be ideal for clearing up after messy tourists.

Which implies it is only foreigners who leave trash behind on the beach.

 

No need to take offense when none is present.

 

If you're hanging out at a beach, you either work there or you're a tourist. 

 

Doesn't matter where you're from or whether you're Thai or Martian.  Even locals, when hanging out at the beach, are tourists.

 

[ratcatcher]

[robblok]

28 minutes ago, Thaitoknow said:

There are people to work but they arent going to do it properly.

Go round cleaning up leaves and brushing sand around while ignoring plastic bags and glass bottles.

I seen them clean properly on many of the islands its easier to teach someone to work properly then to invest in this Robot. Not to mention they are now talking about labor suplus problems so why give more low jobs to machines. 

[Chang_paarp]

They could have bought an industrial sized one that are in use across the world. This looks a little small.

[jaywalker]

3 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

They could have bought an industrial sized one that are in use across the world. This looks a little small.

Small models will get stolen for scrap = attendant needed.

 

A large one will need someone to keep it from running over people, so not sure what role the robotics will play.

[ratcatcher]

11 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

They could have bought an industrial sized one that are in use across the world. This looks a little small.

Thailand has many beaches that need cleaning on a regular basis. If this machine, the prototype of which can be seen in the video, is manufactured in Thailand, it ought to be available at a "reasonable" price for provinces with marine foreshore to acquire. No need for them to be as big as an M1 Abrams tank. It seemed to be doing quite a good job, except for removing seashells which are natural. It may be a robot, but it still needs an operator with a wagon to remove the accumulated trash from the machine.

This is not rocket science.

Here's how the outside world deals with the problem of dirty beaches.

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=beach+cleaning+machines&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitjOLJjYbYAhVHuY8KHQqXBnEQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=588

Edited December 13, 2017 by ratcatcher

[impulse]

1 hour ago, khwaibah said:

You have the correct idea but the unit needs to be larger.

 

If you're going to build a "proof of concept", it makes sense to build one that weighs <100 pounds and can't squash people if it gets out of control.  Starting with a 10 ton behemoth would be expensive and dangerous.

 

It can be scaled up once they figure out the fine details.

 

Gotta say, watching the video, I'm impressed.  Looks like Samila Beach in front of the BP Samila Hotel, based on the Mermaid in the background.  I would imagine they had a head start on the design of the cleaning bits from looking at this machine, snapped in action a few years back on the same beach a few hundred meters away.

 

In any case, it's a great step in something Thailand desperately needs if it's going to be a first rate tourist destination for its beaches and not the other "attractions".

 

[globin]

Excellent, Thailand is good for stuff like this but who will program in the driving style?

[irwinfc]

wouldn't this take jobs off locals? will the government require work permits to run these robots? should we expect another crackdown later on?

[DuiDui48]

TiT-C =..Trash-In-Thailand-Collector..done by PTT..

[realenglish1]

I read the comments and not one said "Good Job"  to the students for creating  the Garbageater  ( Good name) Think big guys Maybe you can export this around the world

 

It does not take coffee breaks never calls in sick No holidays  Nothing to maintain other than its batteries Good job

[CliffH]

I bet it gets bunged up when it hits a wet patch of sand though.

[PatOngo]

And seeing as it was designed locally there is no need for expensive foreign imports.

 

Ahhh......but it will need maintainance......that's when things will go sideways! 

[ThaiTrav]

2 hours ago, Thaitoknow said:

There are people to work but they arent going to do it properly.

Go round cleaning up leaves and brushing sand around while ignoring plastic bags and glass bottles.

They can't keep it clean using people ,they have been doing that for years ,incidently the major problem is the amount of trash dumped out to sea. sadly I dont see this machine hanging around for too long either it will soon rust and breakdowns are going to be dearer than just employing people . Its novel least they will get a bit of the problem cleared temporarily till the machine needs maintainance . Wonder who takes the trash away from the machine?? They are flat out managing to empty the soi bins!!!

[ThaiTrav]

The problems way bigger than this one measly machine ,spose least its a start

[sammieuk1]

There wont be any tourist left to clean up from with so many beach regulations maybe it could be trained to sniff out the think tank of stupid laws plenty of work there on a daily basis .

[cnx355]

3 hours ago, khwaibah said:

You have the correct idea but the unit needs to be larger.

 

 

This one is an efficient machine for public beaches. And they already have a lot of tractors made in Thailand that can pull this machinery.   The small unit made in Thailand   maybe good for a small private hotel beach but would not be efficient to clean large area.. The speed is also extremely slow and has difficulties even  getting the small bottle of

energy drink in the basket. Pieces of clothing, shoes and large plastic bottle wold stop this one ....  Maybe the operator walking behind can have a broom and a large trash can on wheels ;-))

[Enoon]

 

Robots, robots, robots...............employers love robots, the State even encourages them.

 

Unemployed people?

 

No problem, they'll just crawl away and die in some sewer won't they?

 

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

having trashcans on a beach may help also