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For WasteShark creator Richard Hardiman, pure chance led to an exciting idea. Richard, who is the founder and CEO of Netherlands-based startup RanMarine Technology, didn't set out to create an autonomous robot that cleans pollution from the sea. But while having a cup of coffee at a waterfront cafe, he saw something that started him thinking about solving a problem. And the steps he took, in bringing the world's first autonomous aquadrone, called the WasteShark, from concept to reality, can serve as a guideline for anyone with a creative idea. The WasteShark, designed in the shape of a whale shark, operates like a vacuum--removing plastic pollutants from waterways. It can also remove biomass, such as algae. And in the process, it can transmit data about the body of water in which it's operating. At CES® 2022, in Las Vegas in January, the WasteShark won a CES® Innovation Award in the "Drones and Unmanned Systems" category. And as the world focuses on addressing the problem of climate chang