If you have a 3D printer, you can print a remarkable fish and help protect aquatic ecosystems.
British student Eleanor McIntosh from the University of Surrey has created a fish-like robot that cleans bodies of water of microplastics. This useful invention, called “Gilbert,” can also be used for water sampling.
Eleanor’s project won the university competition the Natural Robotics Contest 2022. The contest featured inventors who built animal-shaped robots.
About the size of a salmon, the robot fish has gills that conceal a fine mesh. While swimming, “Gilbert” filters water through that mesh and traps microplastic particles up to two millimeters in size inside a container. This microplastic can later be recycled, Designboom reported.
Anyone with a 3D printer can make their own fish robot. The project files are public on the competition’s website, Natural Robotics Contest.
Dr. Robert Siddall, a lecturer at the University of Surrey and organizer of the contest, says the design needs improvement — for example, by activating its tail and fins to make “Gilbert” swim faster.
Eleanor and her team want the 3D robot fish to get smarter. They plan to add remote control or install sensors to give “Gilbert” some autonomy.
At the competition, the jury also highlighted a bear robot that helps protect forests, a robotic sea urchin, and a crab rover. Researchers at the University of Surrey expect the most promising designs to quickly join the growing fleet of robots fighting environmental pollution.
