Cigarette butts, the second most common form of litter globally, are problematic due to their toxicity and environmental impact.

With over 4 trillion butts discarded annually, they leach harmful chemicals and contribute to ecosystem damage.

To address this, researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed VERO, a quadrupedal robot designed for cleaning cigarette butts.

VERO, based on Unitree’s AlienGo, features vacuums on its feet to suck up litter. It autonomously navigates and collects butts using onboard cameras and a neural network.

The robot, which can operate on uneven surfaces like sand or stairs, has successfully collected nearly 90% of butts in tests, IEEE Spectrum has reported.

Beyond litter collection, VERO’s technology could be adapted for various tasks, such as crop management or infrastructure inspection, showcasing its versatility in robotics.

Written by B.C. Begley