Have you spotted them?

Dubai will soon be home to self-driving taxis, (to be launched in December 2023), driverless abras and now, Dubai Municipality is testing self-driving robots which will clean up the beach areas in Dubai.

A video shared by Dubai Municipality on their official X account (previously called Twitter), shows the robots cleaning up the bicycle tracks by the beach.

According to a report by Emirates News Agency (WAM), the vehicles are currently being tested in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim.

In a statement released by the Dubai Municipality, the launch of the self-driving electric robot is a ‘part of their strategic efforts to manage waste effectively, maintain the cleanliness and aesthetic appeal of all facilities and tourist destinations in Dubai, including public beaches.’

About the smart sweepers

DM sweeper

The vehicles are operated automatically without the need for human control. It is equipped with the latest technology and includes sensors which will detect its surroundings to avoid collisions. The vehicles travel at 40km per hour in normal mode and are eco-friendly.

The use of electric vehicles will reduce environmental pollution and carbon emissions from the Dubai Municipality’s vehicle fleet.

Floating drones

Pixiedrone

In other efforts to keep the city clean, Dubai has launched the country’s first-ever floating waste collector called PixieDrone.

The floating waste collector drone was launched at Dubai Harbour and is small enough to access small spaces to help sort waste items including plastic, paper, cloth, rubber, and more. It is able to identify waste items on the water’s surface and will be able to collect it and store it in a collection tank where it will be properly disposed of, or recycled.

Images: Supplied and WAM