Robotic Ocean Waste Removal

​Pollution of the oceans is an ever increasing problem of essential importance with millions of additional plastic pieces entering the world's seas every day. Motivated by this problem, in this village we seek to identify how robotic vessels can be designed and used to autonomously remove plastic waste from our seas and especially across areas where plastic tends to be accumulated. Throughout the semester we aim to identify "hotspots" of pollution, design and prototype a "green" robotic vessel for waste collection and removal, and identify a plan for the utilization of such technologies in Norway and the world.

Relevant competency

We call for students from diverse backgrounds to join this multi-disciplinary project. Among others, we look for students with background in cybernetics, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, marine technology, construction engineering, and computer science, as well as environmental science and economics. Alongside these core skills we stress the importance of critical thinking and an intrinsic motivation towards a world where we as humans have a more humble impact.

About the village

Ocean waste corresponds to a critical problem for our world. Plastic is now identified in the world's deepest oceanic waters, and per the latest estimates, there are now more than 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our oceans. Every day it is estimated that around 8 million new pieces of plastic arrive into seawater. Marine species ingest or get entangled by plastic debris, which in turn causes injuries and deaths. Simultaneously, plastic pollution threatens flood safety and quality, the health of our societies, and coastal cities that often depend on tourism. More broadly, plastic pollution contributes to climate change.

Motivated to contribute to addressing this gruelling problem, in this project, we aim to design, prototype, and verify the potential of robotic ocean waste removal technologies, alongside outlining a plan for their utilization in Norway and the world. Accordingly, we seek to combine diverse multi-disciplinary at the team level in order to a) perform a feasibility study, b) design the vessel, c) work on its autonomous navigation technologies, d) develop the methods for waste detection and collection, e) study which regions of the world are "hotspots" of oceanic plastic pollution, and finally f) develop a viable plan that outlines how such technologies can be exploited and utilized by local societies, the public sector, and industry.

To best implement this project, we aim to collaborate with additional researchers at NTNU, scientists across the world, as well as industries and public bodies in the maritime, natural resources, and environmental protection sectors.  Updates on the inclusion of partners will be provided later.

Collaboration with Spark*NTNU

This EiT village has a collaboration with Spark*NTNU. We are dedicated to make the solutions you come up with live on after the EiT course has ended. Either in the form of new solutions and processes being adopted by existing organizations or companies, or that the project results are taken forward e.g., in a start-up. The groups will receive weekly guidance from Spark* NTNU. Spark* NTNU is a free guidance service for students with a business idea, or students that want to be part of a start-up. If the group wants to move forward with the solution after the course has ended, we can help you continue the contact with support functions for innovation at NTNU.

How do I register for EiT?