GabyIf you have a 3D printer, you can print a wonder fish and stand up for the aquatic ecosystem.
British student Eleanor McIntosh from the University of Surrey has created a fish-like robot that cleans water bodies of microplastics. This useful invention, called “Gilbert,” can also be used for water sampling.
Eleonora’s project won the university competition Natural Robotics Contest 2022. It featured inventors who developed robots in the form of animals.
The robot fish, the size of a salmon, has a set of gills that conceal a fine mesh. While swimming, “Gilbert” filters water through it and traps particles of microplastics up to two millimeters in size inside a container. This microplastic can later be recycled, the publication reported. Designboom .
By the way, anyone interested can get their own fish robot if they have a 3D printer. The project is available in the public domain on the competition’s website. Natural Robotics Contest .
Dr. Robert Siddall, a lecturer at the University of Surrey and organizer of the competition, believes that the invention should be improved. For example, making “Gilbert” swim faster by activating its tail and fins.
Eleonora and her team aim for the 3D robot fish to become smarter in the future. To achieve this, it can be equipped with remote control. Alternatively, special sensors can be installed to give “Gilbert” some autonomy.
Among other inventions presented at the competition, the jury also highlighted a bear robot that protects the forest, a robotic sea urchin, and a crab rover. Researchers from the University of Surrey are confident that the most interesting developments should quickly join the army of robots fighting environmental pollution.
