A drone system designed to autonomously clean up after dogs, aptly named the Poopcopter, has recently been developed.

According to its developers, the Poopcopter, can be directed to the location of the dog’s excrement via a camera and retrieval system for collecting the waste.

Source: MinnestarSource: MinnestarThe Poopcopter uses a bell-shaped container featuring geared leaves that open and close during rotation so that the device can collect waste.

Its developers suggest that the Poopcopter is the “world’s first aerial bound self-guided dog poop removal system, using a drone, a 3D printed pickup mechanism, and some machine learning.”

To create the system, the developers first used a machine-learning system for analyzing security camera footage to detect when dogs relieved themselves outside.

The team also developed an accompanying robot laser for pinpointing the precise location of the excrement, thereby making it easier to locate. In addition to pinpointing the waste, the laser-guided system was also developed so that it mapped the ideal path for collection, thus automating the entire operation.

Additionally, the Poopcopter relies on real-time computer vision and machine learning algorithms to scan a predetermined region, like a backyard, for instance.

The researchers added that an offboard device or cloud-based system will receive footage from the drone’s built-in camera, and then examines it and searches for any excrement in the surrounding area.

Once the excrement is identified, the drone will attempt to perform a precise landing, assisted by multiple machine-learning models.

For more on the Poopcopter, watch the accompanying video, which appears courtesy of Minnestar.

To contact the author of this article, email mdonlon@globalspec.com