The Dubai Municipality (DM) has unveiled a cutting-edge remotely controlled smart skimmer boat designed to enhance the cleanliness of the emirate’s waterways.
This innovative vessel has been actively removing plastic bottles, tires, and other debris from the waterways since the beginning of this year.
The smart skimmer is a vital component of DM's fleet, which includes 14 boats patrolling the 35-kilometer-long waterways of Dubai, from Deira to the Dubai Water Canal. These operations run daily from sunrise to sunset, ensuring the continuous upkeep of the region’s aquatic environment.
Hussain Abbas Hamad, the Specialized Hygiene Section Manager at DM, emphasized the technological advancement of the skimmer.
“All our boats have a captain and manual labor, but we wanted to create something that could be controlled and operated remotely,”
he stated. The skimmer features a hydraulic lift capable of carrying up to 1,000 kilograms of debris, significantly reducing the need for manual labor. Currently powered by diesel, plans are in place to transition to electric models by next year.
The model of the smart skimmer was showcased at the Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), which commenced on Tuesday in Dubai. Hussain revealed that the development of the skimmer involved years of trial and error.
“We had some people bring technology from other countries, but it wasn’t really suited for our conditions,”
he explained. Previous attempts included a boat from the Netherlands, which was optimized for their rivers but inadequate for Dubai Creek's busy waterways. Through these trials, DM developed a locally adapted solution.
Safety is paramount; the skimmer is equipped with cameras to prevent accidents in the bustling waterway filled with dhows and abras. It also utilizes artificial intelligence to identify common waste types and their concentrations.
“Since we only started in January this year, it is too early for us to provide detailed insights,”
said Hussain.
“However, we have noticed that plastic bottles are the most common debris collected, along with wooden parts from boats and tires.”
In addition to the smart skimmer, WETEX showcased other groundbreaking technologies aimed at promoting sustainability. Notably, fuel company Enoc introduced their first smart biodiesel solar station, a pioneering biodiesel truck powered by solar energy. Faisal Al Qahtani, CEO of Enoc Link, explained,
“Biodiesel is made from waste cooking oil, which is collected and mixed with diesel.”
He added that soon, the company will also offer the digital delivery of Adblue, a component that helps reduce carbon emissions from vehicles.
News Source: Khaleej Times
