What was once an idea submitted by a student for a university contest is now a working -- or rather, swimming -- prototype that could one day help clean the world's polluted waters.
The robo-fish design by University of Surrey student Eleanor Mackintosh has inspired engineers to create a self-powered, trash-eating robot fish that turns plastic into power.
The Weather Channel shared an update on Gillbert, the robotic fish designed by engineers at the university using Mackintosh's concept.
As with the original design, Gillbert is equipped with fine-meshed gills that filter and trap tiny plastic particles in the water.
But unlike the initial hardwired remote-controlled version, this upgraded prototype is self-powered -- transforming trapped microplastics into energy that keeps it swimming.
"Meet Gillbert: He eats environmental disaster for breakfast, literally. This robotic fish is designed to filter plastic out of our water and power himself in the process," as narrated in the Weather Channel clip.
Gillbert's design is open-source and can be downloaded for free. Once produced at scale, this self-sustaining robot could help reduce the amount of microplastics floating through our rivers and oceans.
According to the Ocean Cleanup, there are around 100 million kilograms of plastic trapped and floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- a gyre that's almost twice the size of Texas. And that's just one of the five massive circular currents trapping ocean plastic for decades.
The thing is, 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities, as Future Agenda revealed. Bottles, bags, balloons, packaging -- much of these find their way into the oceans, where they take several years to break down.
But ocean cleanup doesn't always require fancy tech. Communities can also work together in cleaning their surrounding waters.
For instance, a multi-agency, community-driven cleanup initiative that's been ongoing for decades is now reaping rewards for its efforts as monk seals and other species return to healthier habitats on the Hawaiian coast.
Big changes can start with small actions, too. Being more intentional with everyday choices can help protect our oceans and our health. For example, on grocery days, ditch plastic bags and support brands with plastic-free packaging.
While we wait for Gillbert and future robo-fish fleets to tackle ocean waste at scale, each of us can do our part today by making plastic-free choices.
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