Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, have created a self-powered “bug” that can skim across water to collect environmental data.
This innovation could transform aquatic robotics and help us better understand our oceans and other water bodies.
The study, published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies, highlights the potential for these tiny robots to become a part of the “internet of things.”
By 2035, it is predicted that over one trillion autonomous devices will be integrated into human activities, collecting and transmitting data without human intervention.
One major challenge in realizing this vision is that 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.
Aquatic environments pose unique problems for data collection, prompting the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to launch the Ocean of Things program.
For the past decade, Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi of Binghamton University has been working on bacteria-powered biobatteries with a potential 100-year shelf life.
Along with his colleagues Anwar Elhadad, Ph.D., and Ph.D. student Yang “Lexi” Gao, Choi has applied this technology to develop the self-powered bug.
These new aquatic robots use a Janus interface, which is hydrophilic (water-attracting) on one side and hydrophobic (water-repelling) on the other.
This design allows the device to absorb nutrients from the water, fueling bacterial spore production.
The bacteria generate power when conditions are favorable and revert to spores when conditions are harsh, extending the robot’s operational life.
The team’s research demonstrated power generation close to 1 milliwatt, sufficient to power the robot’s movements and sensors.
These sensors can track various environmental data, including water temperature, pollution levels, the movements of commercial vessels and aircraft, and the behaviors of aquatic animals.
Unlike current “smart floats,” which are stationary sensors anchored in one place, these robots can move to wherever they are needed, providing more flexible and comprehensive monitoring.
The next step in this research involves testing which bacteria are best for energy production in stressful ocean conditions.
“We used very common bacterial cells, but we need to study further to know what is actually living in those areas of the ocean,” Choi said.
He also mentioned the potential of using machine learning to find the optimal combination of bacterial species to enhance power density and sustainability.
In summary, these self-powered aquatic robots developed by Binghamton University researchers offer a promising solution for monitoring water environments, paving the way for more advanced and autonomous data collection in our oceans and beyond.
