Robot rubbish collectors on show at CeBIT

CeBIT Australia will showcase traffic drones and a robotic rubbish collection unit from Bega Valley company Slasher Teck.

These innovations will enable remote-controlled or autonomous electric drones to pick up roadside garbage, using visual recognition and GPS tracking.

This will improve safety and could save local councils millions of dollars every year.

“This clever company has received a $98,000 Building Partnerships (BP) Grant from private-sector led, NSW government-backed Jobs for NSW, to develop a Robocollect unit, which uses two robotic arms, a transfer conveyor belt and a detachable rubbish compactor,” said Jobs for NSW CEO Karen Borg.

“These amazing drones, manufactured in NSW in Tomago in Newcastle, have the ability to provide traffic management for vehicle operators and maintenance equipment working along the thousands of kilometres of roadside.”

The Robocollect unit is designed to address the problem of garbage on long stretches of road in a safe an efficient way and is controlled by one operator from the safety of the tractor cabin.

Currently this task is performed by three or four people manually picking up rubbish as they walk along the road.

“Slasher Teck is working with the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA) and local councils to trial the autonomous drone technology and the company believes it will roll it out nationally and internationally,” said Borg.

“This technology has the potential to save the lives of employees working on dangerous stretches of road while saving councils millions of dollars with potential for wider use by emergency services, police and construction companies.”

Slasher Teck Director Nathan Boyle said prototypes of the drones and the Robocollect unit were being manufactured now by TW Woods at Tomago in Newcastle and would be ready by 1 July 2017.

“The Building Partnerships Grant has been a huge help and it shows that people care that we are trying to innovate and give confidence to people working on the project,” he said.

CeBIT Australia will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney (23–25 March).

Image courtesy of Slasher Teck.

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