FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (WPRI) — Fairhaven has taken a big step to ensure better water quality along its coastline by unveiling a new autonomous trash-collecting robot.
The device, known as "Jellyfishbot," was purchased for about $45,000 using grant money.
The water robot has a range of about 800 yards and can be remotely controlled by an operator onshore or on a boat. The operator can also use a grid system to keep the robot in a specific zone, and it can run for up to 14 hours at a time.
Its main purpose will be to clean debris and trash from the water, but it also has the capability to maintain and assist with oil spills. The robot can also measure water depth and conduct its own bathymetric survey.
"So, it has a lot of possibilities, and I think as the technology grows there are going to