Italian scientists develop legged robot that can clean up beaches

Scientists at the Dynamic Legged Systems unit at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa have developed a robot called “VERO” which can clean up cigarette butts from beaches and other environments.

The VERO robot autonomously locates and collects cigarette butts using its onboard cameras, neural network, and vacuum-equipped feet. Initial testing showed that VERO could successfully collect nearly 90% of cigarette butts in different scenarios.

This innovative approach of utilizing a legged robot for both locomotion and a specific task like litter collection is a novel contribution in robotics.

Its unique design and capabilities make it a promising solution for automating litter cleanup in challenging environments where traditional wheeled robots may not be effective.