Meet ‘BEBOT’: Tahoe’s new beach-cleaning robot

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (KOLO) - Lake Tahoe is getting some high-tech help when it comes to keeping its beaches clean.

Meet ‘BEBOT,’ an all-electric beach-cleaning robot. It’s set to be unveiled Wednesday in South Lake Tahoe in conjunction with Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day, an annual, volunteer, ecosystem restoration event.

According to the League to Save Lake Tahoe, the solar- and battery-powered BEBOT “sifts and captures micro debris from beach sand without damaging flora and fauna or generating emissions.”

This trash is critical to pick up before it pollutes Lake Tahoe. Once in the lake, it’s even more challenging and costly to remove, the League said in a press release.

BEBOT is also capable of cleaning 3,000 square meters in an hour. The League called it “the last line of defense” when it comes to keeping pervasive trash and plastics out of the water.