Earlier this year we talked a bit about Razer’s new green initiatives ultimately pledging to be carbon neutral by 2030. Earlier this month as part of that roadmap, they announced a partnership with marine waste cleaning enterprise, ClearBot, in celebration of World Oceans Day.
Ocean waste is a real environmental concern – with approximately 11 million tons of plastics entering the oceans each year, ocean cleaning enterprises often face difficulties with dated technology, cost, and efficiency. The ClearBot team designs robots that leverage AI-vision to identify different types of marine plastic waste and collects information regarding these pollutants in the oceans to protect aquatic life. ClearBot robots are deployed to retrieve marine plastic waste, which is then responsibly disposed.
So if you will, picture small marine craft reminiscent of the speedboats you see off the beaches of Miami, and pack their internals with the latest AI and vision technology. The newly designed and fully automated robot is armed with cutting-edge AI and machine learning capabilities that can detect marine plastics within two meters in rough waters. The robot can collect up to 250 kg of plastics in just one cycle, while running on solar-powered energy (about 550 lb for our non-metric friends).
“We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to work with a startup focused on saving the environment,” said Patricia Liu, Chief of Staff at Razer. “ClearBot’s unique AI and advanced machine learning technology will enable and empower governments and organizations around the world to broaden their sustainability efforts. We urge other innovative startups to reach out to Razer for collaboration opportunities as we strive to make the world a safer place for future generations.”
And she’s got a point – if there’s one thing Razer is known for outside of being a premium gaming brand, it’s design. And if they’re willing to provide their design expertise to small startups focused on sustainability, it’s a win for everyone. Clearbot’s CEO’s words mirror that:
“The Razer team’s action-oriented approach to solving marine waste issues was extremely eye-opening. We are grateful to the team who volunteered their time for this project,” said Sidhant Gupta, Chief Executive Officer at ClearBot. “With the new model, we’re confident in extending our reach globally to protect marine waters, starting with partners which include marine harbor operators in Asia and NGOs who have already expressed interest. Together with Razer, we look forward to effecting positive change for the world.”
To drive active participation from the community during this year’s World Oceans Day, ClearBot has issued a call to action through its program to collect data on marine plastic waste. The community is encouraged to upload photos of marine plastic waste commonly found in open waters onto ClearBot’s website. The research and design team will add this information to ClearBot’s existing database to help improve the robot’s waste detection AI algorithm. Turning to crowdsourced information to improve the product and increase efficiency will definitely help accelerate progress.
Razer has taken a lot of action this year in being more responsible corporate citizens. Starting with the Project Hazel prototype at CES for COVID defense, then following up by announcing their 10 year carbon-neutral roadmap which includes greener manufacturing and packaging as well as building design and recycling programs, they’re living up to their pledges. We’re looking forward to seeing these green marine craft in action, and how next Razer will use their tech and design chops for planetary good.
… Until then we wait and see if they’ll add RGB LEDs for version 2.
To learn more about ClearBot or participate in the program, please visit http://www.clearbot.org.
For more information on Razer’s 10-year sustainability roadmap, please see here.
For more information on Razer’s Green Investments vertical, please see here.
