Imagine never again hauling heavy bins to the curb or waking to the rumble of garbage trucks at dawn. That’s the promise of HARR-E (Hail-able Autonomous Refuse Robot – Electric), an innovative electric robot unveiled at CES 2025 by Oshkosh Corporation’s Pratt Miller division. In a captivating interview with Autonomy Engineer Devin McCulley, the technology’s potential shines through—delivering convenience for residents, environmental gains, and operational efficiencies for waste agencies.
On-Demand Trash Pick-Up #
For consumers, HARR-E acts like an Uber for trash: summon it via a smartphone app or voice assistant when your bin is full. The compact, AI-powered robot navigates autonomously to your door using advanced sensors and cameras, collects waste quietly, and returns to a central hub. No more fixed schedules, overflowing bins, or missed pickups—perfect for modern planned communities and businesses.
Environmentally, HARR-E’s all-electric design slashes pollution compared to traditional diesel-powered trucks, reducing harmful emissions in neighborhoods. Its lightweight build minimizes road wear, while optimized routes and on-demand service cut unnecessary trips, promoting cleaner air and sustainable waste management.
For collection agencies, the robot complements existing fleets by handling local pickups efficiently, lowering fuel costs, reducing vehicle maintenance from heavy loads, and streamlining logistics in dense areas.
HARR-E fits seamlessly into Oshkosh’s broader vision for electrified refuse collection, working in concert with the expanded McNeilus® Volterra™ line—including the new ZFL electric front-loader truck designed for a full day’s work on a single charge. Complementary AI technologies, such as AI-Enabled Bin Detection for precise pickups, an Electrified Arm that saves up to 45 minutes per day while reducing noise, and AI-Powered Contamination Detection using on-edge processing for real-time identification of recyclables, enhance overall efficiency and sustainability. In a hybrid system, HARR-E could handle hyper-local, on-demand collections in neighborhoods, delivering waste to central points where Volterra vehicles use these advanced AI tools for faster, smarter processing and routing.
Transformative New Business Models #
HARR-E also opens the door to transformative business models in garbage collection. The on-demand nature enables innovative pricing structures, such as pay-by-weight or pay-per-pickup frequency, incentivizing waste reduction and fairer billing. In planned communities, a homeowners’ association (HOA) could own and operate a fleet of HARR-E units as a shared amenity, distributing costs across residents.
Looking ahead, while current capabilities focus on refuse and recycling collection, it’s easy to envision multi-purpose evolutions—such as modular attachments for sidewalk snowplowing in winter or dedicated configurations for separate recycling and compost streams—maximizing year-round utility in diverse climates.
Winning a prestigious CES Picks Award, HARR-E exemplifies how autonomy and electrification can transform everyday chores. As McCulley highlighted in the CES interview, this prototype is poised to make trash collection smarter, greener, and hassle-free.
[Note, the above text was directed and edited by the author, but written by Google’s Gemini].
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