The tiny fish-shaped robot removing microplastics from the sea

Small, flexible and self-propelled, the device is capable of reaching cracks and crevices where particles often end up, as Tom Batchelor reports

A light-activated fish-shaped robot collects microplastics as it swims (scale bar is 10 mm) (ADAPTED FROM NANO LETTERS 2022, DOI: 10.1021/ACS.NANOLETT.2C01375)

A tiny robot fish that can “swim” around polluted waterways picking up and removing microplastics has been developed by researchers in China.

The light-activated robot is small, flexible and self-propelled, making it well-suited for reaching cracks and crevices where microplastics often end up.

The researchers demonstrated how their 15mm swimming fish robot could repeatedly absorb nearby polystyrene microplastics and transport them elsewhere.