The MIT Senseable City Lab team revealed it is conducting a pilot test with a modular infrastructure that can be adapted to serve various purposes relatively quickly.

In this test, Roboats are electric, autonomous boats that can carry passengers, collect garbage, and even serve as a bridge for pedestrians to cross. There are two prototypes being used in the Dutch city waters at present.

According to the director of Senseable City Lab, "the Roboat will be controlled through a tactile interface. However, he says that at this stage they are still prototypes, "but we can imagine accessing the phone or any tactile interface, entering the destination, and the boat taking us there.

"In addition to the battery, thrusters, and control system, there is also a water sampling system to analyze the quality in real time," he stresses.