SPAN Robotics is developing solar-powered smart stations, autonomous rovers, and scouting drones to keep campuses, parks, and highways clean — while building the world's largest outdoor litter dataset.
An integrated autonomous platform — smart station, rover fleet, and scout drone — being built to work together to keep outdoor spaces clean.
Solar-powered central hub with an onboard edge AI computer. Designed to monitor fill levels, classify waste types, coordinate the rover fleet, and stream analytics to the management dashboard in real time.
AI-powered ground rover designed to navigate sidewalks, grass, and trails to identify and collect trash. Will use Vision Language Action (VLA) models that improve with every pick, then return waste to the station.
Aerial drone designed to survey the coverage area, map litter distribution, and feed intelligence to rovers for optimized collection routes. Returns to the station for solar recharging between flights.
Station deploys scout drone to survey area
Drone maps litter locations and returns
Station dispatches rovers to collect trash
Rovers pick up litter and return to station
Data is analyzed, models improve continuously
A phased go-to-market strategy starting from low-friction campus deployments to high-value highway contracts.
Private campuses are the ideal proving ground. Minimal permitting requirements, controlled environments, and strong sustainability mandates make campuses the fastest path to deployment.
The largest opportunity by volume. Cities spend billions annually on litter cleanup, and growing smart city initiatives are creating dedicated budget pathways for autonomous solutions.
The most dangerous segment — and the most lucrative. Highway litter cleanup kills workers every year. Autonomous collection eliminates human risk and wins large multi-year DOT contracts.
Outdoor litter is a massive, expensive, and dangerous problem. Current solutions rely on manual labor that puts workers at risk.
Roadway/shoulder maintenance is ranked the #1 most hazardous activity by DOT highway workers.
Source: 2024 DOT Highway Worker Safety Survey
Our system won't just collect trash — it will collect data. Every object identified, every route optimized, every pattern discovered will feed into a growing dataset that no one else has. This data will improve our own models and create a valuable asset for the entire industry.
Every trash pick will refine our VLA models. More deployments will mean better accuracy, faster collection, and broader terrain handling.
Real-time views of station fill levels, rover fleet status, waste type breakdowns, and historical trends. Actionable insights for facility managers. (In development)
Anonymized outdoor litter datasets will be sold to AI companies, robotics firms, environmental researchers, and consumer goods companies. Cities will share in the revenue.
Comprehensive reporting on waste patterns, seasonal trends, and environmental impact — valuable for ESG reporting and municipal planning.
SPAN Robotics operates at the intersection of multiple high-growth markets totaling over $46 billion.
A comprehensive look at autonomous outdoor waste collection — the technology, the market opportunity, safety implications, and how SPAN is building the future of clean public spaces.
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Prefer listening? Get the full white paper as an audio deep-dive — covering the litter crisis, our autonomous system, market opportunity, and go-to-market strategy.
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We're actively developing our autonomous collection platform and looking to connect with early adopters and investors. Whether you're a university facilities manager, a city parks director, a DOT innovation lead, or an investor in robotics and climate tech — we'd love to hear from you.
United States
Currently in development — accepting letters of intent for future campus pilot deployments