Beijing: A robotic fish that “eats” microplastics could one day help clean up the world’s polluted oceans, according to a team of Chinese scientists from Sichuan University in southwest China.
Soft to the touch and only 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) in size, this robot has been sucking microplastics in deep water.
The team aims to collect microplastics in deep water and provide data for real-time analysis of sea pollution, said Wang Wanyuan, one of the researchers who developed the robot.
“We have developed a lightweight miniaturized robot for example. It can be used in many ways, for example in biomedical or risky procedures, a small robot that can be localized to a part of your body to eliminate some diseases.”
The black robot fish glows with light and helps it sweep its wings and shake its body. Scientists can monitor fish with lights to prevent them from escaping other fish or boats.
If accidentally eaten by other fish, it could be dangerous because it is made of non-biodegradable polyurethane, Wang said.
Fish can absorb pollutants and repair themselves when damaged. It can swim 2.76 body lengths per second, faster than most artificial soft robots.
“We mostly use it in collecting (microplastics). It’s like a sampling robot and can be used multiple times.”
