Scientists to Train Tiny Robots to Suck Oil Spills and Remove Toxins From Drinking Water

A UC Riverside scientist developed floating robotic film might be trained to clean up oil spills at sea or remove toxins from drinking water.

The film, powered by light and recharged by water, might be used forever to clean isolated regions where alternative ways of recharging would be problematic.

"Our objective was to build soft robots that are sustainable and able to adjust to changes in the environment on their own," said UCR scientist Zhiwei Li. "If sunlight is utilized for electricity, this machine is sustainable and will not require other energy sources," he said. "The film can also be reused."

Neusbot

Neusbot is the name given to the film by researchers after neustons, a type of mammal that includes water striders. These insects travel in a pulsating manner over the surface of lakes and slow-moving streams, similar to what scientists have accomplished with the Neusbot, which can move on any body of water.

Other scientists have made films that bend in reaction to light, but none have achieved the tunable mechanical oscillation that Neusbot can. This motion is essential for directing the robot and getting it to work when and where you want it to.

A recent Science Robotics publication describes the technical aspects of this accomplishment.

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Like a Steam Engine

"There aren't many ways to produce this controlled movement with light," Li noted, "so we addressed the problem using a tri-layer film that works as a steam engine."

Early trains were propelled by steam generated by boiling water. Neusbot is powered by a similar mechanism but uses light as the source of electricity. The film's intermediate layer is porous, allowing water, iron oxide, and copper nanorods to pass through. The nanorods turn light energy into heat, vaporizing the water and driving pulsing motion over the surface.

Because Neusbot's bottom layer is hydrophobic, it will float back to the surface if an ocean wave overwhelms it. Furthermore, the nanoparticles are unaffected by high salt concentrations. "I have faith in their stability in high-salt environments," Li remarked.

How the Neubots Function

Yadong Yin, a chemistry professor at UCR, is expert in creating nanomaterial-based robotics. They changed the angle of Neusbot's light source to adjust its direction. The robot would march ahead if it were only powered by the sun. They may regulate where Neusbot swims and cleans using an additional light source.

Neusbot only has three layers in its current form. According to the researchers, future versions will be tested with a fourth layer that might absorb oil or other contaminants.

"Normally, ships are dispatched to an oil spill to clean it up by hand," Li explained. "Neusbot, on the other hand, could accomplish this task like a robot vacuum, but on the water's surface."

They'd also like to try to fine-tune its oscillation mode and give it the potential to make even more intricate motions.

"We want to show that these robots can perform a lot of things that previous versions couldn't," he explained.

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