VERO, multipurpose robotic dog created for cleaning, construction and agriculture

Amidst all the intimidating technological advancement in the current world, a realistic innovation of the time is this four-legged robot dog named VERO which assures to leave nothing that harms the planet Earth.

Made by a group of researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Genoa, VERO aims to address one of the most stubborn sources behind pollution: cigarette butts or the omnipresent litters dominating beach debris.

The Long-Standing Issue of Cigarette Litter

Smoking is one of the largest global daily habits, and cigarette ends are the second most picked-up item in the world. Over 6 trillion cigarettes are consumed daily, among which around 4 trillion cigarette butts are littered in the environment.

Contrary to their appearance, these small particles are highly dangerous as they emit more than 700 toxic chemicals into the environment as they disintegrate, they pollute soles and water and are lethal to the fauna.

There are issues that the traditional litter-cleaning machines cannot solve, specifically in the conditions of beaches, and parks, this is where VERO comes in, to provide everyone with a witty and elegant answer to the problem.

VERO: Not just limited to a vacuum

It was a measure of pride, a statement of class, and social status, the defectors came to view as much more than just a vacuum. It was a tool for doing one’s social duty and serving the world.

VERO, the full form being Vacuum-cleaner Equipped RObot, is based on the Uni-tree AlienGo, a robotic dog, which can freely move and manipulate any type of territory. What is even more amazing about VERO is its feet, which are fitted with a vacuum that can sip cigarette butts and other specks of litter.

The invention, called VERO, uses a system of cameras and a convolutional neural network to survey the ground and pick up litter with remarkable accuracy. After that, it follows into position and uses vacuum feet to pick up the cigarette butt it traces. Another camera located at the chin part helps in making VERO’s movements authentic and efficient.

Efficiency and Prospective Developments

Some of the initial attempts on this stage have been effective, hence, implementation of VERO has shown capability of collection rate to be as high as 90% in different settings. It is not the swiftest cleaner around, but it also does not get tired. Hence, it is a better option than human cleaners who get tired and producing a low-quality end product.

However, the applications of VERO do not end with cleaning. The design of the robot also implies the ability to perform other tasks because of its flexibility. At the ends of it legs, a number of tools can be applied and therefore it can perform a number of functions starting from spraying crops, up to inspecting structures for cracks and even assisting in construction projects.

A Peek for Tomorrow

VERO is a major advancement in the field of robotics not just because of its design and construction but also because of its application in the environment regarding the concept of technological enhancement in regard to environmental conservation.

The project also demonstrates how robotics science can be applied to help solve some of the critical problems that persist in the environment today, further stressing how technology can be used in the preservation of the ecology.

At a time when the amount of global waste becomes an intimidating problem that can seem almost impossible to solve, VERO shows a small ray of light. It is the message to make people realize that technological advancement is not only about the newest products or fast processors but also a search for efficient, long-lasting solutions for safeguarding the Earth.