Nanotechnology Now

• About Us
  
  • Advertising
  • Our Mission
  • Our Team
  • Comments
  • Friends
  • Contact
• Nanotechnology
• News
  
  • Current News
  • Press Releases
  • Submit Press
  • Press kit
  • Interviews
• Columns
• Products
  
  • Our Products
  • Books
  • Featured Books
• Directories
  
  • Companies/Academic
  • Events
  • Glossary
  • Best Of
• Career Center
• Nano-Social Network
• Nano Consulting
• My Account

Home > News > Seaswarm Robots Could Clean Gulf Oil Spill in a Month

August 31st, 2010

Seaswarm Robots Could Clean Gulf Oil Spill in a Month

Abstract:
Created by researchers at MIT's Senseable City Lab, Seaswarm employs a conveyor belt of absorbent, nanowire mesh. The specially deigned mesh can suck up oil on the water's surface and then process and dispose of the oil it's collected. The Seaswarm can continue to absorb more of the spill while the robot autonomously navigates and cleans the ocean for weeks on end.

Previously featured in a paper published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, this nanowire fabric can absorb up to 20 times its own weight in oil, while repelling water. When the material is saturated, it heats up and burns off the oil it's collected, leaving the nanofabric available to absorb more oil.

A Seaswarm prototype is currently on display at the Venice Biennale's Italian Pavilion—an international art, music, and architecture festival. The theme of this year's festival addresses how nanotechnology will change the way we live in 2050.

Source:
theepochtimes.com

Bookmark:

Related News Press

News and information

How do cold ions slide May 24th, 2013

Heinrich Rohrer dies at 79; a father of nanotechnology: With IBM colleague Gerd Binnig, Rohrer invented the scanning tunneling microscope, which can show individual atoms on a surface and move them around May 23rd, 2013

Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film May 23rd, 2013

Glowing Plant Releases Maker Kit, Enabling Anyone to Make a Glowing Plant at Home: Glowing Plant seeks funds via crowdfunding and raises almost $400,000 May 23rd, 2013

Possible Futures

Lifeboat publishes its first book: The Lifeboat Foundation has published its first book, "The Human Race to the Future: What Could Happen -- and What to Do" May 14th, 2013

UC Santa Barbara History Professor's Book Elucidates, Celebrates ‘Visioneers' May 14th, 2013

Conceptual Nanomedical Lipofuscin Removal Strategy April 29th, 2013

The Global Desalination Market 2013-2023 April 24th, 2013

Announcements

How do cold ions slide May 24th, 2013

Heinrich Rohrer dies at 79; a father of nanotechnology: With IBM colleague Gerd Binnig, Rohrer invented the scanning tunneling microscope, which can show individual atoms on a surface and move them around May 23rd, 2013

Gold nanocrystal vibration captured on billion-frames-per-second film May 23rd, 2013

Glowing Plant Releases Maker Kit, Enabling Anyone to Make a Glowing Plant at Home: Glowing Plant seeks funds via crowdfunding and raises almost $400,000 May 23rd, 2013

Environment

Conference Scheduled June 5-7 on Safe Use of Nanotechnology in Environmental Remediation May 23rd, 2013

Bacterial spare parts filter antibiotic residue from groundwater May 22nd, 2013

NIA Public Briefing: Nanotechnology and the Council of Europe May 17th, 2013

Nanoadsorbent Synthesized to Remove Toxic Dyes from Textile Industry Wastewater May 16th, 2013