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Students demonstrate 'Orca' beach-trash robot to Environmental Advisory Board
Summary
Two fifth-grade students from Bridal Elementary presented a prototype beach-trash robot named ORCA and described testing at local beaches; the board praised the STEM outreach and gave certificates of appreciation.
Fifth-graders Aris Isaac and Caden (last name not specified) presented ORCA — short for Ocean Robot Collection Administration — to the Clearwater Environmental Advisory Board on May 14 as a prototype designed to collect beach litter and encourage public participation.
"We selected this project because we like going to the beach, we like helping the environment, and we like animals," Aris said, explaining the students tested the prototype at a local beach to gauge public interest. Caden narrated a short demonstration describing how ORCA approaches beachgoers, prompts them to deposit litter and, according to the students, attracted curiosity and participation.
The students described engineering challenges and iterative solutions. They said they adjusted wheel placement, added weight and reinforcement to improve balance and stability, and used zip ties to secure suspension components. They also described limits to data collection at their scale and focused their testing metric on interest and participation: ORCA approached 32 people during testing and, among those who agreed to be videotaped, the presenters reported 100% participation in depositing trash.
The students described improvements they would pursue with additional funding: a mechanism to pick up litter while sifting sand, a guided-path navigation system rather than a remote-control chassis, and a more water- and wind-resistant body. They framed ORCA as a public-engagement tool rather than a complete clean-up solution.
Board members praised the students’ presentation and awarded certificates of appreciation and achievement. Chairman Jared Leone said the project was "a great way to raise awareness about this problem." The board encouraged the students to continue development and community outreach.
Context and limits: The presentation was a student STEM demonstration; the students and board stressed the prototype nature of ORCA and that broader data on beach litter rates or long-term collection impacts were not collected at scale. The students’ testing emphasized participation rates and public response rather than an engineering-ready litter-collection system.
Ending: Board members asked the students to continue refining ORCA and invited them to remain engaged with local beach outreach and educational events.
