Japanese Develop Robot That Tracks Oil Spills

Well, somebody has to clean up the mess, right?

Somebody has to get dirty, right?

Why not a robot thinks a team of Japanese researchers.(subscription)

A team of researchers from Osaka University’s Graduate School of Engineering with help from outside the school has developed a robotic submersible buoy that can detect the exact location of oil slicks floating on the ocean’s surface.

Oil Spill Robot

Crude oil tanker accidents cause extensive damage to the environment and local economies.

This new robot is designed to be brought to the general vicinity of a spill. It can then direct clean-up crews to oil patches before they get out of hand by spreading further. Nifty, eh?

The robot is 2.7 meters. (8’10″) tall.

It searches while cruising underwater.

It has four advanced cameras scanning for water colors that indicate a surface slick.

Once something is found the robot surfaces and transmits the location of the spill.

Meanwhile a sensor in the robot continuously measures the viscosity of the surrounding liquid, thus ensuring that it not drift away from the slick.

“We aim to commercialize this tracking device in three years, after boosting performance and decreasing size,” said a prof at Osaka University.

It’s always about the money.

Now can they come up with a robot that will PREVENT oil spills. I am sure they could make more money selling that kind of contraption.

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