Can snail robots eat microplastics?
Microplastics are the killers of the ocean. They are pervasive and come from a wide variety of plastic waste and cosmetic additives. Their threat to marine life and human health is not yet known, but it has alarmed the world. To solve this thorny problem, people have come up with a variety of solutions.
There is a novel way to make microrobots using the principle of snails. Scientists at Cornell University took inspiration from the Hawaiian apple snail. This adorable robot mimics a snail, using its feet to create waves, propel currents, and suck floating food into its mouth. Scientists used a 3D printer to print a soft, carpet-like sheet with a rotating spiral device at the bottom that allowed it to undulate. This results in an open fluid pump system that absorbs water and particles.
We looked at how this snail preyed on food particles at the junction [of water and air] and designed a device that could clean up microplastics from the surface of the ocean or water," said a bio-environmental engineering expert at Cornell University.
The researchers found that an open system was more efficient than a closed system (in which a closed pump draws water into a pipe). The snail-like design also captures tiny particles that can't be captured with conventional plastic cleaning equipment such as nets or conveyor belts. While the prototype still needs to be scaled up before it can be used in a real-world environment, this design demonstrates great potential to combat marine microplastics.