Robotic technology helps clean up Milwaukee's beaches

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A futuristic look is coming to Milwaukee's beaches. Two remote controlled robotic devices will now be used in Milwaukee's beaches to clean up litter waste. 

Along South Shore Beach, Chris Giddens is working.

“Operates just like a remote-controlled car," said Giddens, the water quality assistant at Milwaukee Riverkeeper.

The remote control in his hand is necessary for cleanup. 

“It’s way more effective at picking up small bits of plastic than you or I would be at picking things up by hand," said Giddens. 

It's for BeBot, a robotic litter remover. 

"It’s estimated that 20 million pounds of plastic could be flowing into our Great Lakes every single year," said Mark Fisher, the CEO of Council of the Great Lakes Region.

In partnership with Meijer and Council of the Great Lakes Region, Milwaukee Riverkeeper staff will now use this technology to reduce plastic pollution. Each robot will be deployed once a week between the months of May and September. 

"The sand gets sifted out of the tray and rocks and plastic debris and other trash finds its way to the back," said Giddens.

While BeBot tackles the beach, its robotic partner PixieDrone tackles water pollution.

“It’s sad in one sense that we have to deploy robots to clean up messes that we should be taking care of ourselves. So, it’s really critical that we focus on eliminating plastic waste at the source," said Erik Petrovkis, the director of environmental compliance and sustainability at Meijer. 

Each piece of plastic removed by the robots is recorded to improve Milwaukee's beaches. 

“So, we can then use that data to have that conversation with beachgoers, with policy makers about what we’re finding and how do we stop it," said Fisher.

Beaches, Giddens hopes will be cleaner for generations to come. 

“This is just one small piece of the puzzle," said Giddens.