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A robot that eats pollution

1,425,313 views |

Jonathan Rossiter |

TEDxWarwick

• March 2016

Meet the "Row-bot," a robot that cleans up pollution and generates the electricity needed to power itself by swallowing dirty water. Roboticist Jonathan Rossiter explains how this special swimming machine, which uses a microbial fuel cell to neutralize algal blooms and oil slicks, could be a precursor to biodegradable, autonomous pollution-fighting robots.

Meet the "Row-bot," a robot that cleans up pollution and generates the electricity needed to power itself by swallowing dirty water. Roboticist Jonathan Rossiter explains how this special swimming machine, which uses a microbial fuel cell to neutralize algal blooms and oil slicks, could be a precursor to biodegradable, autonomous pollution-fighting robots.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxWarwick, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Jonathan Rossiter

Jonathan Rossiter

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Jonathan Rossiter develops soft robotic technologies and turns them into real robots and smart machines for engineers, musicians, doctors and artists.

Winfield, J., Rossiter, J. & Ieropoulos, I. 12 Sep 2016 ACS Network Chemistry Community Online | Article

"The Dawn of Biodegradable Robots"

Rossiter, J. M. 10 Jan 2017 The Next Step: Exponential Life. Martinez Deano, N. (ed.). Spain: BBVA | Article

"Robotics, Smart Materials, and Their Future Impact for Humans"

Rossiter, J. M. & Hauser, H. 13 Sep 2016 In : IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine. 23, 3, p.17-20 , 7565693 | Article

"Soft Robotics - The Next Industrial Revolution?"

Rossiter, J., Winfield, J. & Ieropoulos, I. 2017 Soft Robotics: Trends, Applications and Challenges: Proceedings of the Soft Robotics Week, April 25-30, 2016, Livorno, Italy. Laschi, C., Rossiter, J., Iida, F., Cianchetti, M. & Margheri, L. (eds.). Springer, p.95-101 (Biosystems & Biorobotics; vol. 17) | Article

"Eating, Drinking, Living, Dying and Decaying Soft Robots"

Rossiter, J., Winfield, J. & Ieropoulos, I. 15 Apr 2016 Electroactive Polymer Actuators and Devices (EAPAD) 2016. SPIE, Bellingham, 97981S. (Proceedings of SPIE; vol. 9798) | Article

"Here today, gone tomorrow: biodegradable soft robots"

Rossiter, J., Philamore, H., Stinchcombe, A. & Ieropoulos, I. 28 Sep 2015 Proceedings of 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS).p.3888-3893 | Article

"Row-bot: An energetically autonomous artificial water boatman"

Philamore, H., Ieropoulos, I., Stinchcombe, A. & Rossiter, J. 1 Dec 2016 In : Soft Robotics. 3, 4, p.186-197 | Article

"Toward Energetically Autonomous Foraging Soft Robots"

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxWarwick, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Make your own soft robots with the Soft Robotic Toolkit!