Robotic “eel” that “chases” the contamination in water

© naftemporiki.gr Robotic “eel” that “chases” the pollution in water

Envirobot is the name of a robotic eel developed by EPFL researchers in Switzerland, which can move in contaminated waters to locate the source of the infection.

The robot is equipped with chemical, biological, and so on, sensors and can move into the water without causing disruption to aquatic organisms or raising mud. Each piece has a small electric motor. If one stops working, it’s easy to quickly replace it.

“It is a body that can change shape … creating this type of swimming movement that is characteristic of eels and morays, and that is what makes the robot move in the water – only the oscillation, there are no propellers or other actuators”,

says Alessandro Crespi, EPFL’s biobotics researcher, to Reuters.

“Envirobot is too small, so a single person can take it to the lake, throw it into the water … take samples and process the data on the spot or later in a lab. So in this respect there is no need to transfer the laboratory tools to the lake, or take samples and get them back to the lab for processing,

says Beezad Bayat, also an EPFL biobotics researcher.

The sensors indicate if there is contamination and find out the toxicity of the water. Researchers hope that one day it will be possible to locate heavy metals such as mercury and other elements.

Envirobot tests at Lake Geneva are under way.

Source: www.naftemporiki.gr