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MIT's Seaswarm robots use nanofabrics to autonomously clean oil from water.
A project by the MIT Senseable City Lab senseable.mit.edu/seaswarm
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Welcome to Planet 100 for September 9, 2010. Here's what we're covering today.
WATCH VIDEO: Robots to the Rescue
Seaswarm Robotic Rescue
Who can you call upon when the next oil rig explodes? Seaswarm—a fleet of oil absorbing robots developed by scientists at MIT.
Armed with a super-absorbent "nanofabric," these robots can absorb 20 times its weight in oil, operate independently and can clean continuously for weeks at a time. What's more, the robots run on solar energy and require only 100 watts of power, the equivalent to one strong light bulb.
While Seaswarm may be too late for the BP spill, it offers promise for cleaning up future slicks.
Read more: MIT's Fleet Of Solar-Powered Oil-Cleaning Robots a Solution for Gulf Spill (Video)
New Zealand Quake
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake which shook New Zealand second city of Christchurch last week has created a new fault line in the earth's crust.
All up the quake damaged roads, shook down chimneys, and destroyed most of the old structures near the South Island city causing $1.4 billion in damage but only injuring two people. What's more the ongoing tensions between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates pushed up the soil some three feet in areas. Experts believe this to be new fault line.
Via: MNN
Fresh Air in Hong Kong
A campaign to sell "Fresh Air" has been a huge hit in Hong Kong. The brainchild of NGO Clean Air Network, the spoof of a 1980s infomercial featuring popular Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu, is designed to draw attention to the wretched air quality in the city of seven million.
Via: New York Times
Credits:
Seaswarm robots 1 & 2
©A project by the MIT Senseable City Lab
senseable.mit.edu/seaswarm
http://senseable.mit.edu/seaswarm/ss_press.html
Photos by Kris Krüg and Andrea Frank
Graphics by Adam Pruden www.adampruden.com
Solar Panel ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Lightbulb ©Spike Mafford/Thinkstock
Devastated building ©AP Photo/NZPA, David Alexander
Bricks on car ©AP Photo/Rob Griffith
Map of NZ ©iStockphoto/Thinkstock
