Clearbot Announces Alligator Neo Robotic Weed Harvester

HONG KONG - Clear Robotics, makers of the Clearbot, has unveiled an all-electric robot boat it says will haul more aquatic weeds per sortie.  

The undated news of Alligator Neo touts a wider frame, heavier payload and better avoidance hardware. Clear Robotics says the extra width means less frequent return-to-shore duty for dumping, though test data and the new model’s specific payload capacity are not offered in the announcement. 

The original Alligator uses a conveyor to lift water hyacinth and other floating weeds out of the water, according to the company's service description. Clearbot lists that model as 6.2 meters long, with four hours of battery life and a clearing rate of about 90 square meters per hour. 

These figures refer to the original boat - Clearbot have not issued the clearing rate for Neo on its announcement. 

Clearbot cites work with Veolia at Hong Kong's SENTX landfill site as an example of the original Alligator's use. The company says the boat cleared 3,000 square meters of vegetation in two weeks. Its project account does not reveal that this harvesting is ongoing, nor if there was payment by Veolia. 

The Alligator has autonomy or can be remotely controlled, with a dashboard that logs the live clearing-though it is not evident how the Hong Kong project was managed in terms of each of these or whether the operators were actively involved during the clearing activity. 

A separate Philippine pilot offers more detail about how crews can operate Clearbot vessels. A March 17 account on the Asian Development Bank's Development Asia platform, which lists a Clear Robotics executive among its experts, describes routes programmed by operators. Crews can also steer the boats with handheld controllers and monitor battery levels and progress through live video.