Capra robot cleans, de-ices city streets
- September 16, 2024
- William Payne

Deutsche Telekom and Danish robotics specialist Capra are partnering on a robot cleaner for city centres. Capra’s Robot Butty can clean streets and collect garbage, de-ice streets and perform delivery and guard duties in urban environments. The robot can also work in logistics, industry and agriculture: transports warehouse pallets, delivers parcels or guards the company fence. The all-terrain little Scandinavian even checks vines and ensures good wine on slopes.
The robot can tow up to 100 kilogram loads and pulls loads of up to half a ton. It has various attachments including suction nozzles, spray nozzles and 3D cameras. The robot has real-time communication through Deutsche Telekom’s IoT mobile and satellite network. Deutsche Telekom has concluded roaming agreements with 600 partners worldwide that support Robot Butty. Companies such as Intelsat and Skylo supplement the connection with satellite radio.
The robot requires precise positioning for functions such as collecting small pieces of garbage. Picking up a cigarette butt requires accuracy to four-centimetres. The robot also needs to be accurate when de-icing sidewalks in winter. GPS is not accurate enough for this, so Deutsche Telekom is working with the company Swift Navigation on highly accurate satellite navigation. An AI-supported navigation system allows the robot to manoeuvre around obstacles in tight spaces in real time using camera technology.
Moving parts from the warehouse outside and into the production on the shop floor is also a challenge. At the sometimes narrow doorway, it has to move with particular precision, also to avoid collisions between man and machine. Lars Hee Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer of Capra Robotics, said: “Reliable 4G and 5G, precise positioning and camera-based navigation together ensure precision. We close the gap between indoor and outdoor logistics. This saves companies time and money.”
Dennis Nikles, Managing Director of Deutsche Telekom IoT GmbH, said: “The Capra robot takes over repetitive tasks independently. This frees up qualified workers in companies.”