An Unmanned Electric Garbage Boat to Be Launched in Amsterdam: How It Will Work

Roboat is planned to be used for passenger transportation, delivery of goods and removal of household waste.

The Roboat project is implemented as part of a program to solve the city’s transportation problems. “Roboat” is developed by Amsterdam’s Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Work on it began four years ago and has only now reached the stage of testing two prototypes.

One of the prototypes will be used to collect household waste. Installed near the shore, the boat will be used as a trash can.

As it fills up, the Roboat will return to the base to transport the waste on its own.

The city of Amsterdam supported the idea — the pilot project will start in early 2022.

Roboat is an aluminum hull measuring 2x4 meters. The boat is powered by a 12 kWh Murata battery that can provide 8 hours of autonomous operation at an operating voltage of 48 V. It is propelled by four propellers: a bow and stern comb and two thrusters on the sides.

Navigation is provided with a bow-mounted leader, several cameras and a GPS module. It is also possible to connect several boats in a caravan. As for permission to carry passengers, it has not been received yet.