Microplastics… they’re not fantastic

A team of Chinese researchers has developed a fish-shaped robot that can collect and remove microplastic waste from large bodies of water, per a new peer-reviewed study published in Nano Letters.

🐟♵ A deeper dive (lol)… Microplastics are the billions of tiny plastic particles that form through the breakdown of larger plastic objects used in everyday life, such as water bottles, synthetic tires, or T-shirts.

• They’ve been discovered basically everywhere – including in bottled water, fresh Antarctic snow, the bottom of the ocean, and even human blood – and can be harmful if ingested by animals or humans.

🤖 One fish, two fish: To combat this growing problem, scientists at Sichuan University created tiny fish robots that use light from a laser to flap their tails, and have a body that attracts the molecules found in microplastics, causing them to stick as it swims past.

• Just like Wolverine, its body is made from a new self-healing material that can repair itself back up to 89% of its ability and continue absorbing microplastics in the event that it gets ripped or damaged.

✋ Yes, but… The study is just a proof-of-concept, meaning more research is needed before the robo-fish can be deployed in the real world.