Opossum
Opossum is a robot designed for street cleaning. The robot works at night, when streets are quiet and traffic is low. A retractable suction head, shaped like a mantis arm, extends under parked cars, so the cars do not need to be moved. Sensors and cameras guide autonomous navigation and help the robot avoid obstacles. Solar panels charge the storage batteries during the day. The main body is made of aluminium alloy and the moving parts of high-strength engineering plastics. Quiet night operation reduces noise and eases the workload of sanitation workers.
Opossum Cleaning Robot by WEIWEI ZHANG was highlighted as an exceptional illustration of service design by the A' Design Award. Opossum Cleaning Robot was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design in 2025. The A' Robotics, Automaton and Automation Design Award is a juried, academic and highly prestigious design prize which honors exceptional design of industrial robots, medical robots, agricultural robots, domestic robots, autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots, telepresence robots, underwater robots and more.
