O.P.C.S. T-157 "Garbage Monster"

Each year, rivers carry an estimated 1.15 to 2.41 million tons of plastic into the oceans, adding to the already significant accumulation. This plastic gathers in the ocean’s gyres, with the largest and densest collection being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which covers 618,000 square miles between Hawaii and California. An issue of these proportions requires a solution of equal magnitude.

We propose the T-157 “Garbage Monster,” a key component of the Ocean Plastic Collection System (O.P.C.S.). This vessel includes an on-board recycling center, a tower of pods for worker accommodations, and a fleet of aerial and nautical drones. The aerial drones identify “hotspots” of garbage, while the nautical drones work in pairs to collect the plastic using a dragnet system. After gathering sufficient plastic, the drones return to the main vessel to deposit their collections. The crew then cleans, sorts, bales, and stores the plastic on-board until exportation back to land.

This project was designed in collaboration with Christian Salazar and Logan Jacobs for the 2024 ACSA Steel Competition. The project received 1st Place in the Open Category.