Using Microbots to Keep the Ocean Clean

Researchers have figured out an effective way to keep the world's waterways cleaner. A study published in ACS Nano this week explains how microbots could reduce plastic pollution in aquatic environments. These magnetic-powered devices offer a sustainable and reusable option to the market. Here's everything you need to know about how researchers want to use tiny robots to fight pollution.

Microplastics Cause Problems

Microplastics are a major problem for the world. These tiny particles form over time as plastic products break down. Microplastics measure -5 micrometers in size, making them very difficult to collect from aquatic environments. Sadly, these tiny plastic particles pose ecological and health risks when left untouched.

Food Chains

One major issue with microplastics is that they get consumed by fish and other ocean life. These particles get eaten, which introduces microplastics into the food chain. Sadly, the cycle doesn’t end; even after the microplastics make it to human consumption, they make their way back into the environment.

Stool samples have confirmed that microplastics have polluted the environment so much that it's now a part of your body. One study found that the average person eats 50K plastic particles yearly. Today, these harmful particles can be found in nearly every aspect of life, making it paramount that reduction systems be put in place.

Bacteria

Microplastics are detrimental to brain development and cause other illnesses. These tiny plastic particles attract problematic growth from algae and bacteria. These species create pathogens and cause disease if consumed or inhaled for prolonged periods. Specifically, studies have linked respiratory and cardiovascular diseases to microplastics in the air, soil, and water. As such, there is a strong demand to reduce their environmental and health impact.

Microbots

Microbots are tiny machines that often contain one moving component that can be activated using electrical, chemical, or magnetic forces. There are many applications for these tiny robots from healthcare to safety and security. In this instance, the researchers sought to create a magnetically powered and controlled swarm that could be controlled based on current.

Source – ACS NANO

Their creation was a 2.8-micrometer, magnetically controlled microbot. Extending from the microbot's bodies are polymeric sequestrant strands with positively charged magnetic particles. This structure enables the arms and robots to be gathered and controlled via magnets. Specifically, researchers leveraged amine-modified Dynabeads functionalized with the carboxyl-containing ligand poly (N-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide).‘

Swarms Enhance Performance

These bots' tiny size makes them ineffective at completing most tasks alone. However, these systems leverage swarms to accomplish complex tasks effectively. Like nature, swarms create efficiency and ensure that a single point of failure does not prevent the necessary tasks from being completed. As such, microbots are another example of man mimicking nature.

In this instance, the magnetic strands can organize when a magnetic field is applied. Once combined, the magnetic field can be used to coordinate movements for the swarm as one cohesive unit. This movement can work to collect microplastics and bacteria without leaving additional waste.

Experiments and Testing

The researchers began testing their magnetically controlled polymeric microrobot swarms in water cleanup tasks to gauge their effectiveness and reliability. They found that when self-organized into rotating planes, these tiny machines removed a significant amount of pollutants from the water with minimal power requirements.

Their testing began by creating an artificially polluted environment. The researchers accomplished this task by introducing tiny 1-micrometer-wide fluorescent polystyrene beads to the testing water. Then, the researchers introduced bacteria to the equation. They used the common pneumonia-causing bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ensuring a real-world example was used.

Adding the Microbots

The microbots were added to the testing environment and a magnetic field was applied to the group. Notably, the magnetic field was kept rotating for 30 minutes. Additionally, it was shut off every 10 seconds. The field caused the microbots to concentrate into a 7.5 milligram per millimeter concentration which proved ideal for cleanup tasks.

Controlling the Microbots Swarm

The researchers found that they gained significant control over the devices through magnetic augmentations. They adjusted the swarm’s direction, speed, size, and thickness. Additionally, they were able to coordinate formations that enhanced specific tasks such as propulsion or sorting.

Clean up Results

The dense swarm captured 80% of the bacteria and microplastic pollutants on its first run. Notably, the pollutants collected stayed attached to the microbots following their extraction from the water. Ultrasonic waves were then applied to the microbots in a solution that allowed them to release the microplastics and bacteria in a contained unit safely.

The decontamination process included an ultrasonic bath to kill bacteria before undergoing ultraviolet treatments. Together, these steps eliminated 99% of bacteria from the robots, making them safe again for reuse. Keenly, this cleaning regiment means that the bots are reusable with only a slight degradation in results.

Researchers

The research team behind this project was headed by Martin Pumera. As part of their strategy, the team had to create new methods of fabrication, motion analysis, and application. Their research proved their thesis and opened the door for more complex processes and functionalities in the future.

Potential Use Cases

There is a strong demand for reusable water filtration systems that provide consistent results. Accessing, filtrating, and delivering clean water has become a vital aspect of life. Here are some potential use case scenarios for microrobot filtration systems in the future.

Water Treatment

Tiny machines are ideal for cleaning up water systems. They can be introduced with minimal effort and collected easily. Notably, the current water purification systems lack the necessary performance and rely on unsustainable mechanical or chemical systems. Keenly, microbots don’t leave residue making them a better option.

Ocean Cleanup

A miles-wide island of floating trash exists in the middle of the ocean that continues expanding. This horrible ecological situation is one of many that plastic waste has caused. Microplastics from these locations continue to harm the environment, which in turn, results in health risks.

Source – AP:J. Lavers

Microrobotic cleaning solutions could be introduced to these hazardous areas and begin the cleanup process without human intervention. Additionally, these systems can scale to meet future needs and combine with other technologies like plastic-eating microbes that eliminate the waste after it has been collected.

Healthcare

Microbots could help create low-cost drugs and other life-saving systems. In the short term, these devices could help to provide clean water solutions when needed. These bots could become commonplace in hospitals shortly, where they could be used as an additional filtration system to ensure higher-quality results.

There could also be an influx of startups that leverage this technology to drive the home water purification markets. Water quality is a global concern, and this technology offers one of the cleanest solutions available.

Construction and Manufacturing

Magnetically controlled robots could be used to create stronger buildings and products in the future. For example, these devices can help a vehicle panel return to a pre-set state when magnetic force is applied. As such, they could one day be used to hold together high-tension areas on jets, rockets, boats, cars, and even skyscrapers.

Benefits of Using Microbots

Microbots bring a lot of benefits to the equation. For one, they can be easily manufactured, deployed, managed, and collected. These devices can also integrate sensors, which help provide valuable data that can be used to enhance anti-pollution efforts considerably.

Reusable Microbots

One of the biggest breakthroughs of this research is the ability to reuse the bots. There’s a slight performance loss on each cycle. However, this is a small loss in performance that swarm behavior helps to compensate. Additionally, the low operating costs mean that anyone could one day create massive swarms that improve efficiency across industries.

Control Release

Another huge benefit of this development is the ability to conduct a controlled release of the toxins. It's been notoriously difficult to devise ways to clean up aquatic environments and filter hazardous material without leaving a chemical residue. This method eliminates chemicals from the equation, making it much safer and more sustainable.

Magnetic Energy

The use of magnetic energy to organize and operate these tiny robots adds another layer of benefits to the equation. Magnetic interactions don’t require the bots to have batteries. As such, the engineers reduced the size, weight, and other factors.

Companies that Could Benefit from these Developments

Many industries could benefit from water-cleaning microbots. The environment needs microplastic removal solutions. Additionally, healthcare and purification services could leverage this tech to improve their offerings. Here are a few firms with the potential to gain from these advancements in the future.

Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc.

Ginkgo Bioworks Inc. is a biotech company that specializes in organic solutions. The firm offers helpful industrial biotech services that reduce costs and improve efficiency. Notably, the company was created by 5 MIT graduates and currently lists Jason Kelly as CEO. Today, Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings is a prominent name in the market.

Ginkgo Bioworks has seen considerable growth. In 2022, it acquired  Bayer's Biologics Research & Development site and began a strategic partnership. The company's stocks have seen a slight decline in value over the last year following the rest of the market. However, Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings’ market positioning and advanced proprietary solutions make it a strong addition to any portfolio.

Imina Technologies S.A.

Imina Technologies specializes in robotics platforms. The research and manufacturing firm has multiple products that enable micro and nanoscale interactions. Their premier product, the miBot, is the world's most compact 4 degrees of freedom robot commercially available.

The untethered design of the robot makes it ideal for scanning microscopic surfaces freely. The robot can naturally adapt to a changing environment. Additionally, it uses magnetic lenses to produce high-resolution images that can be used across multiple applications. This bot could one day be used to monitor microrobot progress and more.

Future of Microbots

The future of micro-robotics looks bright, with AI and other technologies playing an increasing role and driving innovation. In the future, nano and micro-robotics will become part of everyday life. These little workers could accomplish tasks like safety scans, repair, maintenance, and more.

Nanotech is on the rise and the introduction of self-powered devices has opened the door for new use cases. There are mini robots that power themselves off of static electricity or other readily available options today. These developments make it possible to use microbots to help fight bacteria in new and advantageous locations. As such, the micro robotic field is one to watch.

Microbots Can Save Lives

This development has the potential to save millions of lives in and out of the ocean in the coming years. The solution to pollution is not a straightforward response. Instead, the world needs to look at all available options and combine the ones that make sense. Microrobotic water purification systems offer unique benefits that make them worth exploring.

Combining these efforts with sustainable energy and reducing pollution is the key to success. Together, this multifaceted approach could be what’s needed to turn back the clock on pollution. For now, researchers are working around the clock seeking out solutions.

A Cleaner Ocean is Better for Everyone

Using microbots to combat pollution at a nanoscale makes sense for multiple reasons. For one, they are properly sized to get the job done. These microscopic units can do a lot when working in swarms, and when coupled with other tech, like AI, blockchain, and IoT, the results become easily trackable across the globe. For these reasons and many more, this project has lots of potential.

Learn about other cool environmental projects here