Scientists at Binghamton University have developed a new technology they hope can "revolutionize" aquatic robotics and unlock an entirely new way to explore and monitor the oceans.
Professor Seokheun Choi and Ph.D. students Anwar Elhadad and Yang Gao created a self-powered robotic "bug," which uses "bacteria-powered biobatteries" to run and can skim across the surface of water, allowing it to travel with whatever sensory equipment it's carrying, according to a university report.
Per Binghamton, the new type of battery is more reliable under adverse weather conditions than solar, kinetic, or other forms of renewable energy would be. The batteries also have a shelf life of possibly 100 years, allowing them to be safely and inertly stored until they're needed.
"When the environment is favorable for the bacteria, they become vegetative," Choi said. "But when the conditions are not favorable — for example, it's really cold or the nutrients are not available — they go back to spores. In that way, we can extend the operational life."
Coupling the batteries with something known as a "Janus interface," which repels water on one side and allows it through on the other, would allow them to control whether the battery is active, depending on weather conditions.
Allowing sensors to travel to the areas where they're needed, as needed would be a significant development. Currently, oceanic sensors must be anchored in place and remain stationary, forcing us to travel to their locations and move them manually if needed.
With this technology, the robots could be sent to multiple locations, saving fuel consumption. While alternative ship and marine fuels have begun rolling out, many vessels still run on highly polluting dirty energy, so the technology could conceivably help reduce the amount of toxic gases generated by operations.
Furthermore, it would allow for more complete and accurate readings of the ocean, providing valuable data about the state of our marine ecosystems.
And because the bacteria are living organisms that reproduce on their own, the battery may eventually be able to run almost indefinitely, meaning the sensors can operate for longer without becoming more waste floating in the ocean, and it can be recalled back to shore or other boats for any repairs.
However, Choi notes that the work to prep the technology isn't quite done yet.
"We used very common bacterial cells, but we need to study further to know what is actually living in those areas of the ocean," said Choi. "Previously, we demonstrated that the combination of multiple bacterial cells can improve sustainability and power, so that's another idea. Maybe using machine learning, we can find the optimal combination of bacterial species to improve power density and sustainability."
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