A Robot Fish Eats Plastic That Can Help Clean Up Waste in the Water
Author: April Fowell
The robo-fish moves through the water by flapping its tail while holding its mouth open to catch microplastics and water in an internal cavity. Once the cavity is full, it will close its mouth and open its gill flaps. Then it raises the cavity's floor to force the water out through the flaps. The gill flaps are covered with a tiny mesh that allows water through but traps plastic debris. Currently, the robot can capture particles as small as 2mm in size. It also has n Inertial Measuring Unit (IMU) that can track its movements in the water, plus built-in sensors that can assess turbidity and underwater light levels. The robo-fish illuminates at night as well. The existing prototype is dependent on the hardwired remote control. Future versions of the bot may be able to catch far smaller particles and may also include a faster, more hydrodynamic body shape, a stronger tail, and the capacity to swim on its own. Eleanor Mackintosh, the contest winner, told New Atlas, "Water pollution, especially plastic pollution, is a huge problem. It's not just about the ocean which suffers but rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds. This makes it a problem without a one-size-fits-all solution."