Plastic pollution is considered one of the most challenging environmental risks globally, and rivers have been identified as a dominant pathway for the accumulation of plastic in the oceans. The Flyflic (FLYing companion for Floating LItter Collection) project, carried out by Chiara Gabellieri and supervised by Antonio Franchi, addresses this global challenge by deploying a first-of-its-kind robotic platform composed of multiple unmanned aerial robots to effectively collect litter from rivers and canals, thus preventing such litter from reaching our oceans. The project contributes to European strategic priorities (Horizon Europe Mission on healthy oceans, seas, coastal and inland waters) and global strategic priorities (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). Compared to state-of-the-art solutions, which are mainly boat-like robots or fixed trapping mechanisms, a flying platform can target desired spots, can easily discharge the collected litter, is low cost, and is not hindered by non-navigable spots such as dams and low bridges.
Objectives
The overarching objective of the project is the deployment of an integrated aerial robotic platform embedding deformable parts in contact with water for floating litter collection. Several challenged have been identified and are targeted by the project’s objectives. To do so, the project aims at (i) solving modeling and control challenges of deformable aerial robotic manipulation platforms; (ii) considering all the necessary components for autonomous functioning; (iii) handling interaction with humans.
Main results beyond the state of the art
