Overview
- Engineers in Australia unveiled a remote‑controlled prototype roughly the size of a sneaker that skims oil from the water’s surface.
- A sea‑urchin‑inspired coating grows microscopic spikes that trap air so water beads off while oil adheres to the filter.
- In controlled trials, the robot recovered about 2 millilitres of oil per minute into an onboard chamber with more than 95 percent purity reported.
- The current unit runs for about 15 minutes on battery power and avoids harsh chemicals, aiming to reduce risks to wildlife and human responders.
- The team plans to scale to larger, autonomous robots that can return to base to empty and recharge, with durability studies and field tests up next.