The student startup Salacia Robotics, created at RTU MIREA, has developed a fully autonomous robot for cleaning sandy beaches, the university's press service told "Pervy Tekhnichesky". The device has already been assembled as a functional prototype of a tracked platform that can operate without human intervention, sift sand up to 15 cm deep, collect debris in a container with ultrasonic fill sensors, and bypass obstacles using a computer vision system.
The idea of creating the robot came to the founder of the startup, Alexander Rybko, during a vacation in Egypt, where he noticed that hotel staff missed trash during cleaning. He decided to create a device that would consistently clean the beach without human involvement. Laboratory tests of the prototype confirmed the viability of the concept. The team identified weaknesses – the track tension mechanism and navigation among dynamic obstacles – and plans to refine them this year.
According to the developers, the robot will help hotels save 15–20% of labor costs for cleaners. Unlike existing analogues, the device does not require manual control and operates completely autonomously. The team plans pilot tests on the beaches of Moscow and the Moscow region, followed by paid tests with two or three hotels in the Krasnodar Krai.
The Salacia Robotics project received support at the university level – RTU MIREA has a "Startup as a Diploma" program, allowing students to defend business projects. The project also won in several categories of the "Startup as a Diploma – 2026" competition, including recognition from Rostec and the Academy of Innovators of Moscow. The team received mentorship, a cash prize, and the opportunity to refine the product in the prototyping center.
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