Jakarta, INTI – The threat of microplastic pollution in our oceans continues to grow, endangering marine ecosystems and human health. Responding to this issue, researchers from the University of Surrey, UK, have developed an innovative solution: a plastic-eating robot shaped like a fish. This robot not only cleans up ocean microplastics but also converts them into electricity, enabling it to operate without a battery.
Launched off the southern coast of England, this robotic fish is designed to resemble the shape and movement of real fish. It can swim agilely and reach narrow corners of the ocean that are difficult for humans or conventional tools to access.
Made from soft, biodegradable materials, the robot poses no threat to marine life. Instead of relying on external power sources, it generates its own energy by processing the plastic it consumes.
Inside its body, the plastic waste is compressed and undergoes a series of processes that generate low-voltage electricity, powering its internal systems. The more plastic it eats, the more energy it produces.
This robot is also equipped with a special filtration system to capture microplastic particles in the water. It can avoid nearby objects, move silently, and rise to the surface automatically when its internal waste tank is full. After a 12-hour operation, it was able to collect more than 2 kilograms of microplastic demonstrating its potential to support ocean cleanup efforts in the future.
Microplastics: A Global Concern
The development of these robotic fish has caught the attention of scientists around the world. Researchers in China and South Korea have also addressed this issue, recognizing that microplastic pollution is a global problem requiring equally global solutions.
At Sichuan University in China, researchers have developed a small robotic fish just 13 mm long. Like its British counterpart, it is soft and flexible but with a key difference: it uses strong electrostatic interactions to absorb microplastics while swimming.
Even more impressive, this robotic fish can heal itself when damaged, with up to 89% recovery efficiency allowing it to continue its mission with durability and resilience.
Promising Technology, but Not Without Challenges
Despite their potential, these robotic fish are still in early stages of development. Even the most advanced model from the UK has only just begun real-world deployment.
Here are some of the challenges:
- Scale: Oceans are vast, much larger than land. Cleaning them would require thousands of robots deployed across dynamic and unpredictable marine environments.
- Durability: Saltwater is highly corrosive, and ocean conditions such as large waves and strong currents can damage the robots over time.
- Economic Feasibility: Realistically, developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining a fleet of underwater drones requires substantial investment.
- Limited Function: These robots only tackle existing microplastics. They cannot prevent or reduce the millions of tons of plastic waste entering the oceans every year.
Conclusion :
The plastic-eating robotic fish from the UK presents a promising, eco-friendly solution to ocean microplastic pollution. By generating its own power from the plastic it consumes, this innovation offers a sustainable approach to marine cleanup. Although it still faces challenges in durability and scale, the technology brings hope for a cleaner and healthier ocean future.
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