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Students from Etec Taubaté created DRAST, a recycled HDPE underwater drone with camera, sensors, and magnetic claw, and also developed MEAR, an ecological high-resistance material for possible applications in civil construction.
According to the FEBRACE, Brazilian Science and Engineering Fair, in a publication from March 19, 2025, DRAST, Technological Simplified Aquatic Remote Device, is a low-cost underwater drone made with recycled high-density polyethylene, developed by a team linked to Etec Taubaté and Idesa Taubaté, in Taubaté, São Paulo. The equipment was designed for environmental data collection, such as temperature and luminosity, in addition to image capture and collection of metallic waste using a magnetic claw, with application in scientific research and monitoring of aquatic environments.
During the development of DRAST, the students faced a central technical challenge: finding a material resistant, lightweight, cheap, and recyclable for the drone’s structure. The solution led to the emergence of a second project, MEAR, High-Resistance Ecological Material, described by FEBRACE’s virtual exhibition as a recycled HDPE plate reinforced with steel mesh, with the proposal of combining mechanical resistance, low cost, and versatility for possible applications in areas such as civil construction.
DRAST: recycled HDPE underwater drone created by Etec Taubaté students
HDPE, high-density polyethylene, is one of the most discarded plastics by the Brazilian industry. Bleach bottles, detergent packaging, sewage pipes, and industrial containers are made of this material, which after use usually goes to landfills or low-value-added recycling.
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Etec Taubaté students chose HDPE as the main material for the DRAST underwater drone for three reasons: impermeability, structural resistance, and recyclability. This choice also aligns the project with the circular economy logic, by transforming discarded plastic into environmental technology.
DRAST 6, the sixth version of the prototype, showed excellent maneuverability and resistance in the final tests, according to the documentation presented at FEBRACE. The equipment operates by remote control, navigates in underwater environments, records seabed images, and measures water temperature and luminosity.
Underwater drone with magnetic claw collects metallic waste in rivers and lakes
The magnetic claw attached to DRAST allows collecting metallic waste from the bottom of rivers and lakes, such as screws, caps, equipment fragments, and other debris accumulated in urban aquatic environments. This function expands the prototype’s use for environmental monitoring and targeted cleaning actions.
For research projects, DRAST represents a low-cost alternative to commercial ROVs, remotely operated underwater vehicles that can cost tens of thousands of Brazilian Reals. This price makes many professional equipment inaccessible for public schools, small laboratories, and community initiatives.
The project’s strength lies precisely in this combination: low cost, recyclable material, underwater camera, environmental sensors, and magnetic claw. DRAST shows how technical education students can create practical solutions for real environmental problems.
MEAR: high-resistance ecological material born during drone development
While developing DRAST, the students realized they needed a structural plate capable of combining mechanical resistance, low cost, and sustainability. No material available on the market simultaneously met these criteria within the budget of a technical school.
The solution was to create their own material. The MEAR, High-Resistance Ecological Material, is produced by fusing recycled HDPE at a controlled temperature, combined with steel mesh incorporated during the process to increase structural resistance.
The result is a plate that combines the impermeability and lightness of plastic with the mechanical resistance of steel. According to FEBRACE’s documentation, the material withstood significant loads in tests, paving the way for possible applications in civil construction.
Recycled HDPE with Steel Mesh Could Pave the Way for Applications in Civil Construction
One of the most important technical challenges of MEAR was defining the ideal melting temperature of recycled HDPE. This point is essential because variations in the process directly affect the homogeneity, strength, and uniformity of the final plate.
The tests documented at FEBRACE validated the students’ hypothesis that the combination of recycled HDPE and steel mesh could produce a strong, affordable, and sustainable material. The proposal takes advantage of a common plastic waste and transforms it into a plate with greater added value.
The discovery makes the project broader than the original underwater drone. DRAST generated an environmental solution, and MEAR emerged as a technical byproduct with potential for another sector: civil construction.
FEBRACE 2025 Placed DRAST and MEAR Among the Highlighted Scientific Projects in Brazil
FEBRACE, organized by the University of São Paulo, is considered the largest science and engineering event for basic and technical education students in Brazil. In 2025, it gathered 300 finalist projects developed by 671 students from all over the country.
Reaching FEBRACE already represents national recognition, as the projects are selected from thousands of works entered in regional and state fairs. For the best-performing finalists, the event also opens the way to the Regeneron ISEF in the United States.
The Regeneron ISEF brings together more than 1,800 young scientists from 49 countries and is considered the largest international science fair for basic and technical education. DRAST and MEAR reached this level starting from a state technical school, without relying on a specialized laboratory.
Aquatic Drone from Etec Santana de Parnaíba Reinforces Environmental Innovation in Technical Schools
The DRAST from Etec Taubaté is not the only aquatic drone developed by students from a state technical school in São Paulo with an environmental purpose. In Santana de Parnaíba, local Etec students created a surface aquatic drone for monitoring the Tietê River, one of the most polluted rivers in Brazil.
The project was selected among the 89 finalists of the third edition of the Brazilian Ecosystem Restoration Olympics, Restaura Natureza, promoted by WWF-Brazil in partnership with the association Quero na Escola. It had also been awarded at FEBRACE and the Brazil Environmental Management Forum.
Student Rute Gomes, from the Integrated High School with Technical Marketing, summarized the impact of the experience: “Participating in the project was a turning point for me. I grew as a student, as a citizen, and as someone who understands that small actions can lead to big changes.”
Recycled HDPE, Magnetic Claw, and Technical Education Show Another Path to Innovation in Brazil
The most common narrative about technological innovation usually points to cutting-edge university laboratories, venture capital-funded startups, or corporate research centers. DRAST and MEAR emerge outside this logic.
The projects were developed by technical education students at a state school in Taubaté, with accessible materials like recycled HDPE from discarded packaging and general-use steel mesh. The problem that motivated the project was practical: monitoring aquatic environments at low cost.
The most relevant innovation is not just the drone. It’s the process: by attempting to build a sustainable underwater device, the students also created a new material with potential for another market. This chain from problem, solution, and unexpected application is one of the strongest forms of low-cost innovation.
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