The MIT Seaswarm Robots Can Clean the BP Oil Spill in a Month
Josh Milenthal — August 31, 2010 — Eco
References: senseable.mit.edu & engadget
The newest project out of MIT: Seaswarm robots that are designed to act like a "legion of seagoing Roombas" that skim the ocean surface to pick up oil.
The robots are each outfitted with a GPS and Wi-Fi capability to track location and communicate within a swarm. Trailing a thin, hydrophobic material that can soak up twenty times its weight in oil, the robots would have been able to clean up the Gulf of Mexico's oil spill in a mere month using a swarm of 5,000.
The way the MIT Seaswarm robots work is by finding a spill, and slowly working their way from the edges to the center. They are also reusable, making them an eco-friendly choice for a serious problem.
The robots are each outfitted with a GPS and Wi-Fi capability to track location and communicate within a swarm. Trailing a thin, hydrophobic material that can soak up twenty times its weight in oil, the robots would have been able to clean up the Gulf of Mexico's oil spill in a mere month using a swarm of 5,000.
The way the MIT Seaswarm robots work is by finding a spill, and slowly working their way from the edges to the center. They are also reusable, making them an eco-friendly choice for a serious problem.
Trend Themes
1. Robotic Oil Spill Cleaners - Opportunity for developing more advanced robotic systems to efficiently clean up oil spills in a shorter time frame.
2. Swarm Robotics - Potential for utilizing swarm robotics technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of environmental cleanup operations.
3. Eco-friendly Solutions - Growing demand for sustainable and reusable technologies to tackle environmental challenges like oil spills.
Industry Implications
1. Robotics - Promising disruptive innovation opportunities in the development and application of robotic systems for environmental cleanup.
2. Environmental Services - Opportunity for companies in the environmental services industry to adopt and provide specialized oil spill cleanup solutions.
3. Materials Science - Potential for advancements in hydrophobic materials to create more effective oil-absorbing substances for use in oil spill cleaning equipment.
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