Project BB: Keeping Beaches Clean Using Blockchain and 5G

Designing future-facing service concepts for autonomous, blockchain-enabled beach-cleaning robots

Overview

Project BB explores how blockchain technology, robotics, and 5G connectivity could intersect to maintain cleaner coastal environments-empowering autonomous beach-cleaning robots to operate transparently, sustainably, and in coordination with local communities.

This speculative design project was initiated in collaboration with Odd.bot, a robotic weed removal startup, and YES!Delft, a leading tech incubator in the Netherlands.

Product Vision

Imagine arriving at your favorite beach and seeing it spotless-not thanks to city services, but due to a fleet of self-governing, blockchain-registered robots. These units operate with transparency, reward participation, and ensure that public spaces stay clean through decentralized collaboration.

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Client

Project BB / Odd:bot / YES!Delft
Period: September 2019 – November 2019

My Role & Process

1. Ethnographic Field Research

• Visited local beaches to observe environmental challenges, foot traffic patterns, and pain points in waste accumulation
• Identified behavior patterns among beachgoers, maintenance workers, and nearby communities

2. Desk Research & Domain Exploration

• Studied emerging blockchain ecosystems, DAO (decentralized autonomous organizations), and the concept of self-owned robotic entities
• Investigated user roles within blockchain-powered systems (e.g. stakers, verifiers, contributors)

3. Expert Engagement

• Presented early findings at local blockchain meetups, leading to valuable feedback loops
• Conducted expert interviews with technologists, sustainability advocates, and IoT researchers

4. Design Scenarios

• Created low-fidelity wireframes for three core interaction scenarios:
  1. A robot-only system coordinated by blockchain smart contracts
  2. A community-involved hybrid model (e.g. citizens earning tokens for participation)
  3. A non-blockchain fallback service using centralized coordination for comparison

Each concept addressed logistics, transparency, incentives, and public trust.

Outcomes & Reflections

• Delivered a preliminary advisory report and early service design framework
• Sparked discussion on robotic rights, environmental automation ethics, and human-machine collaboration models
• Developed a deeper understanding of designing for emerging tech in ambiguous environments

Project BB wasn’t just about clean beaches-it was a thought experiment about how machines and communities might co-create public good.