Surface waste removal in aquatic environments using autonomous vehicles

Abstract

The presence of floating debris in aquatic environments constitutes a significant environmental challenge. In this context, autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) offer an effective solution for performing cleaning operations in a scalable, repeatable manner. However, cooperative configurations involving towed devices still exhibit limited experimental validation. This work presents the validation of a cleaning system comprising two ASVs towing a net to collect floating debris. The proposed solution relies on a hierarchical control architecture that integrates state observers, guidance strategies, and a centralised high-level model predictive controller. This controller coordinates the motion of the vehicles along curvilinear trajectories, preserving the formation geometry and compensating for towing effects. The experimental results show stable and robust cooperative behaviour, positioning the system as a practical step toward the deployment of autonomous surface-cleaning solutions in real aquatic environments.