environment

Scientists have started work on a new underwater artificial intelligence bot which can detect activities that harm the ocean environment. The technology, being developed by the University of Southampton with ocean science experts RS Aqua, will be used to spot illegal fishing and protect marine mammals during offshore wind farm construction.

Microplastics are found nearly everywhere on Earth and can be harmful to animals if they’re ingested. But it’s hard to remove such tiny particles from the environment, especially once they settle into nooks and crannies at the bottom of waterways. Now, researchers in ACS’ Nano Letters have created a light-activated fish robot that “swims” around quickly, picking up and removing microplastics from the environment.

A grant by the National Science Foundation to researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Syracuse University aims to open new avenues of robotic study of coral reefs by developing autonomous underwater vehicles capable of navigating complex environments and of collecting data over long periods of time.

Starship Technologies, in conjunction with Milton Keynes Council, has announced the initial findings of an internal study to review the early impact of zero-emission robots in the city over the last three and a half years.

In a proof-of-concept study, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces developed self-propelled microrobots that can swim, attach to plastics and break them down.

Gaming company Razer aids upcoming startup ClearBot, to redesign its AI robot that cleans up marine plastics. The newly designed and fully automated robot is armed with AI and machine learning capabilities that can detect marine plastics within two meters in rough waters. The robot can collect up to 250 kg of plastics in just one cycle, while running on solar-powered energy.