WLWT: UC-based Clean Earth Rovers to launch this summer
Venture Lab-backed startup cleans water, monitors quality
After approximately three years of development, a University of Cincinnati Venture Lab-backed startup that seeks to collect plastic debris from waterways will launch this summer, WLWT reported.
Clean Earth Rovers’ first autonomous rover is set to launch this summer at a marina near San Francisco.
"The intent is to really provide the marina owners an alternative to every time you need to do something, you have to send out a human,” Robert Charvat of Clean Earth Rovers said. “Go to your phone. Log on to the app. Identify in your marina where it is. It has a lidar unit on it so it won't crash into things. It's got an eight-hour battery.”
Along with a rover that picks up debris, Clean Earth Rovers has developed data sensors that collect information on water quality such as oxygen levels, water temperature and pollution content.
"It also includes all of the pollutants that you can't see,” Clean Earth Rovers’ Chris Petersen said. “Whether that's bacteria levels in the water or phosphates or nitrogen. Things that cause algae blooms and fish die-offs, which are becoming a much bigger problem for different municipalities and marinas around the country.”
Featured image: Clean Earth Rovers' Plastics Piranha. Screenshot courtesy of WLWT video.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
The graduating class of 2024 shares creative works across 15...
April 24, 2024
DAAP’s Graduating Class of 2024 shares creative works across 15 interdisciplinary degree programs at DAAPworks.
Local 12: Head injury survivor, doctor share importance of...
April 23, 2024
Local 12 spoke with patient Shane Shapiro and the University of Cincinnati's Laura Ngwenya about the importance of wearing a helmet following Shapiro's traumatic brain injury and recovery.
WVXU: Why is part of Green Township called Dent?
April 23, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences professor tells WVXU that Ohio's glacial past might explain how Dent got its name.