VERO (Vacuum-cleaner Equipped RObot)

2024: Product Announcement

In July 2024, researchers from the Italian Institute of Technology introduced a robotic dog called VERO (Vacuum-cleaner Equipped RObot). Its peculiarity lies in the presence of a built-in vacuum cleaner for cleaning garbage.

The device is based on the AlienGo robot of the Chinese company Unitree. On the back of the machine is a vacuum cleaner unit, from which four vacuum hoses with brush attachments depart - they are fixed on the dog's paws. Thus, during the movement process, VERO can collect garbage, such as cigarette butts.

source = Italian Institute of Technology

The dog's equipment includes two cameras with depth sensors: they are responsible for detecting debris. Special algorithms based on artificial intelligence allow you to plan the route of movement so that the robot steps on the desired zones and sucks the garbage inside itself. As conceived by the developers, VERO can be operated in any public areas, for example, in playgrounds, parks, squares, etc.

The cost of VERO is quite high. The fact is that the AlienGo robot, which underlies the automated cleaner, is offered at a price of about $50,000 as of mid-2024. But in the future, the developers hope to reduce the cost of their brainchild by using less expensive models, in particular, the Unitree Go 2 for $1600.

The first version of VERO moves quite clumsily, and the cleaning speed is low. In addition, there is a possibility that small stones and sand will be absorbed in open spaces during the garbage collection process, which can damage internal components. In the future, instead of vacuum nozzles, some other tools, such as equipment for certain garden or construction work, can be fixed on the paws of a robot dog.^[1]

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