‘No ordinary clean-up operation’: EU deploys drones and robots to remove litter from the sea floor
The EU-funded initiative is helping tidy up the litter-filled sea floor, and could even be used to detect hidden mines.
Futuristic tech, including heavy-lifting robots, is being deployed to help clean up Europe’s litter-riddled waters as part of an EU-funded trial.
Scientists and companies behind SeaClear2.0 and its predecessor SeaClear have developed a fleet of drones that can independently identify rubbish lying on the seabed. Robots, which are powered by AI but supervised by humans, can also spot everyday items such as bottles, tyres and other debris and can distinguish litter from rocks, plants and marine life.
The initiative is part of the bloc’s Mission Restore our Ocean and Waters – which aims to cut marine litter by around half by 2030. Tests have already been conducted in a marina in Marseille, France as well as in Germany.
Further tests are planned in Venice, Dubrovnik and Tarragona, but experts warn the technology still needs refining.
‘A huge amount of litter’ in Europe’s seas
“There’s a huge amount of litter that ends up in the sea,” says Bart De Schutter, a professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and co-ordinator of SeaClear and SeaClear2.0.
Most of this waste sinks from the surface down to the seabed, where it is invisible to the naked eye.
“Many projects target surface litter, but we look at the sea floor,” De Schutter adds. “It’s important to remove rubbish there, because it can contaminate the environment.”
When plastic sinks to the sea floor, it gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Eventually, it degrades into microplastics – which are notoriously difficult to remove, and have become ubiquitous on Earth.
How do the litter-picking robots work?
Normal cleaning operations involve sending divers down to the seabed to collect litter. For heavy items, divers are required to attach cables to the debris so it can be hauled up to the surface and removed.
However, this process is very expensive and can put divers at risk. SeaClear2.0 aims to tackle this issue by sending uncrewed surface vessels to target areas.
Aerial detection drones are then deployed to identify litter and record its locations before being sent down to retrieve the debris, either by grabbing it or sucking it up. For heavier objects, a smart gripper can be lowered from a crane.
Researchers are also testing additional systems, including an autonomous barge that acts like a ‘floating bin lorry’. This will collect the waste gathered by the drones and transport it back to shore.
“In tests, we’ve already removed rubber tyres, metal fences and parts of ships,” says De Schutter. “Using a crane on the surface vessel, we can lift even heavier objects.”
Streamlining the technology
While tests have garnered positive results, researchers say the technology still needs refining before the project ends in late 2026.
“We’re not exactly where we want to be yet,” says Yves Chardard, CEO of the French company Subsea Tech, a partner in both SeaClear iterations. “But we’re not far off. The goal now is to streamline the technology.”
Researchers are also exploring the possibility of using the robots to detect unexploded mines on the seabed, left over from historic wars. By the end of the year, the team hopes its clean-up crews will be ready to work alongside local authorities across Europe.
