Did you know there is a 25% chance of dying because of environmental pollution? According to the World Health Organisation, about 12.6 million people - or one in four worldwide - die because they live or work in unhealthy conditions. In addition, environmental degradation seriously affects the quality of life in general and the balance of the Earth's ecosystem through the loss of forests, open spaces, marine environments, and biodiversity. The relationship between new technologies and the world's climate situation is usually talked about solely in a negative way. The more the temperature changes, the more the world around us changes, and the more people blame modern technology - this is due to actual violations of industry rules, media hype, and prejudice. While technological advances and industrialisation have historically contributed to such problems, the latest technologies, from robots and artificial intelligence to biotechnology, will also help us create healthier, cleaner industries that benefit both people and the planet.
Environmental robots
A look at environmental issues shows that there are also areas where robots could play a vital role. Researchers are developing more eco-friendly robots to help humanity with a variety of critical activities. Naturally, the application scale of intelligent robots depends on how cheap it is to produce and operate them. The cost of electronic circuits is steadily decreasing, and the energy consumption of solid-state circuit components is deficient. At the same time, the need to solve environmental problems is becoming increasingly urgent.
Robots and water
However, there are also situations where robots and nature interact without harm and even, on the contrary, help humans to improve the current situation. For example, since the end of June 2021, scientists and researchers have been using drones with a special attachment. It helps make water sampling in rivers and reservoirs easier and faster. When water sampling needs to be done over a large area, specialists spend a lot of time, and this tool helps save hours. The nozzle is a long holder for an open bottle that drops to the bottom and then sends a GPS tag to scientists. Helping to explore water spaces is one of the main functions of modern inventions. It is undoubtedly because such a thing is difficult for humans, sometimes even impossible. For example, how to study the bottom of the ocean? Dozens of meters deep, and sunlight does not penetrate through the thickness. Research autonomous ships are used for such tasks. Special robotic oceanographers can sail thousands of killometers on their own. Thanks to them, information about the ocean's bottom topography is mapped. Sometimes such robots perform another function and explore the underwater world, giving people information about aquatic creatures. It is how the Italian engineers created the "crab": it explores the bottom topography, interacting with its surroundings - fish, corals, mollusks. The obtained information is helpful for scientists - geologists, ecologists, and marine biologists.
Robots that fight water pollution
The UN estimates that 80 to 90% of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment. 40% of the world's population suffers from a shortage of fresh water. River basins are home to around 1.7 billion people, and 700 million people do not have access to safe drinking water. If nothing is done, this number will rise to 5 billion by 2030, accounting for two-thirds of the world's population.
Microorganisms as a source of energy
The essence of this development is the creation of a paddling robot capable of absorbing organic matter and purifying the water. It is designed to resemble a water beetle. All four limbs of the device have floats, which prevent it from sinking and help maintain a stable water level in the fuel cell. Floating in the water is done by a pair of "oars" driven by microscopic electric motors. Scope of application: cleaning ponds with fresh and salt water, drain pits, and sewage drains. The device operates in an autonomous mode, as the fuel cells use the energy of the metabolism of microorganisms. Dirty water is supplied to the fuel cell; after processing, clean water is poured out through the flaps. The power of 1.8 J generated during one cycle is stored in an electrical capacitor. The 1 J of energy is enough for the robot to travel a distance of 20 cm, and the remaining 0.8 J can be used to power the sensors and control electronics.
A multi-user web-based garbage collector
This robot was first explicitly created to clean the Chicago River from the garbage. According to the developers, users can control the robot through a website. In general, the process resembles an online game but performs beneficial actions in reality. According to the idea of the creators, any person can remotely control the robot in real-time through the website and thus collect garbage from the pond and accumulate it in special containers. When the tanks are complete, the robot returns to the base terminal, where the trash is unloaded and prepared for another swim. The robot is equipped with GPS tracking and a safety rope to prevent flooding.
Oceans without plastic debris
A water cleaning robot like this is an autonomous vessel whose job is to pick up trash from rivers before entering the seas and oceans. The garbage is evenly distributed across several containers. When all the containers are complete - the robot sends a text message to local waste collection operators. A lithium-ion battery powers the device, and it can collect more than 50 thousand kilograms of waste per day. The device is connected to a cloud system, which monitors the components' performance, energy consumption, and condition. Such robots are installed on the river in Tangerang (Indonesia) and Klang (Malaysia). By 2025, the developer plans to clean 1,000 rivers, which account for up to 80% of ocean pollution by plastic waste.
Integrated research on the water
Some types of drones perform oceanographic and climatic data studies in autonomous mode. The device uses wave power for propulsion and solar power for sensors and onboard calculations, allowing it to spend many months in the ocean without fuel. The system consists of a float on the surface, an 8-meter-long hosepipe, and a submarine. Additional sensors can be fitted for marine science, commercial, and defense missions.
Robots as renewable energy sources
The entire quantity of solar energy absorbed by the atmosphere, land, and ocean surface each year is estimated to be around 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ). Waves as an energy source are attractive because they work continuously. They can be used in 80% of the world's largest coastal cities and islands. Altogether, the energy potential of waves is estimated at 29,500 terawatt-hours per year, which is 125% of current electricity consumption in the world.
Power source for a perpetual motion machine
The modular offshore platform can generate renewable energy from the waves, wind, and sun. The design can operate in all weather conditions. Wave generators are equipped with solar panels and wind turbines. According to the idea of the engineers, the heavy platform hardly moves when the waves hit, and all the energy goes to the moving floats. The amplitude of their movement reaches 3 meters, so the system collects the power of waves from 2 to 6 meters high, turning the direction of floats into electricity. Scope: generating electricity from renewable sources; in the future, the project will become a natural replacement for power plants that use fossil fuels.
Ocean Energy - energy generators for remote areas
Ocean Energy Systems for converting the energy of sea waves to electricity can be used on islands where there is no space for the construction of wind or solar power plants. The plant is a vast buoy weighing 826 tons that generates 1.25 MW of energy. That is enough power to power a community of 18,000 homes and power desalination plants and fish and shrimp farms. Bloomberg experts say that similar projects will boom in the next decade.
Robots on land
If we take the example "from the surface of the land," robot dogs that explore forested areas have been developed. The built-in cameras and image transmission can transmit information about potential fire sources and other threats. Micro-robots and soft robots integrate perfectly into their surroundings and help explore the world around them. Sometimes they are also used in repairing other equipment: thanks to their plasticity and small size, they can get into internal constructions and transmit their condition to specialists. Developments do not stop - scientists and specialists worldwide are constantly working on new inventions that could replace humans in dangerous situations, save their resources and help the current environmental crisis.
Robots that grow trees
Regular cutting of trees leads to an increase in the concentration of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere by 6-12%. Scientists estimate that more than 15 billion trees are cut down on the planet each year. During the same period, only 5 billion trees grow. If nothing is done, the forest reserves will run out by 2300. The use of robotic technology will help to solve this problem.
An autonomous hydroponic garden
The developers see the project as an ecological alternative to traditional agriculture. The robotic system operates on solar energy, and no chemical fertilizers are used. The advanced hydroponic technology is based on water circulation in a closed loop; the liquid is reused and does not pollute natural water bodies. The robot looks like a six-wheeled truck. It is equipped with a seeder for loosening hard soil. The estimated service life is 35,000 hours—areas of application: reforestation, planting of greenery, and agricultural works. The device copes with planting trees in rugged terrain and regions inhabited by poisonous snakes and spiders. A new generation of robots that can plant a thousand trees at a time and use autonomous systems to follow a pre-programmed planting route is also under development.
BioCarbon Engineering - restoring the planetary ecosystem
Introducing this technology aims to plant forests on a large scale. Drones eject capsules with sprouted tree seeds and control the growth process. The developers estimate that up to 36,000 trees can be planted daily. At the same time, the cost of work compared to conventional methods is reduced by 85%. Drones controlled by operators are used for mass planting of the territory. The first step is to collect information about the topography and soil quality utilizing drones flying at 100 meters. Then, based on the data collected, the software selects the best place to plant the trees and generates a planting map. The second group of drones flies 3 meters above the ground, dropping nutrient and seed-filled capsules (two per second) onto the ground. The tablets are capable of penetrating the soil. One drone containing 300 capsules processes 1 hectare in 18 minutes.
Ecosystem restoration
The essence of this technology is also the mass planting of trees using drones. The technology involves using such elements: drones with containers for seeds, capsules with pre-germinated seeds, and a smartphone responsible for controlling the aircraft. Drones collect information about the area, then a computer program analyzes the parameters (temperature, soil type, amount of precipitation, needs of the local population) and chooses the most favorable place for developing a new ecosystem. Developers claim that such robots can restore the ecosystem 1,000 times faster and ten times cheaper than conventional methods. Two drones can plant trees over an area the size of 1.5 soccer fields in just 10 minutes. The cost per planting will be $0.11.
Robots for environmental monitoring
Unique robots can examine soil and air to detect harmful substances, predicting their effects on the human body and the environment. The devices are equipped with a network of sensors and actuated roots, each with sensors, control units, and extension zones. One of the roots is able to bend in response to sensor signals, while the other demonstrates artificial growth. The plant's trunk is made of plastic, with a microcomputer inside. The leaves are equipped with sensors that can assess environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, chemical factors). The devices can be used in different areas of life, from environmental monitoring to space exploration.
Plant life cycle monitoring in real-time mode
The developed platforms of plant condition monitoring and yield forecasting equipped with AI perform the functions of crop conditions optimization and detection of the initial stages of deviations and diseases: they collect information on climatic conditions and plant growth. Using special sensors and software, crop volumes are calculated with 90% accuracy and plant diseases with 95% accuracy.
Automated agricultural farms
Robotic systems for growing berries and vegetables are able to function all year round. Compared to traditional greenhouses, such complexes consume significantly less water (by 90%) and electricity (by 25%). Farm sizes range from 100 to 1 000 m2. The construction is based on aluminum profiles, and individual units and parts are printed on 3D printers. The machine knows how to make holes, plant seeds, and water seedlings on its own.
Robots that kill pests
The increase in pests in agricultural fields is rightfully considered a central problem of modern ecology. Parasitic insects are responsible for 12% of global crop losses worth $157 billion annually.
Conservation of coral eco structures
Drone robots are designed to protect underwater reefs from starfish and predatory parasites (e.g., sea bristle worms). Queensland University of Technology, Google, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation participate in the project to develop and implement such robots. The robot is able to work for eight hours without recharging. The device identifies parasites with an accuracy of 99.4%. The premise of operation is the same as for divers: the robot detects the pest's position and administers a deadly injection. Coral reefs are not affected. The drone is designed to be inexpensive and available in mass production; it can be used by scientists, activists, and representatives of local communities.
Pest control without chemicals
Special copters spread beneficial insects or bacteria that kill pests. In one flight of 13-14 minutes, the drone treats an area of 18-20 hectares. By using GPS with a 20 cm accuracy, you may control the rate of entomophagy application per hectare, set a continuous application, or toss only at certain field points. The flights are carried out automatically without a pilot. According to the developers' estimates, the technology allows for increasing the crop yield by up to 20%.
The punctual killing of insects
The purpose of this technology is to control insects eating and destroying crops (for example, moths, white cicadas, and Colorado potato beetles). It is an alternative to the mass use of harmful pesticides. The drone patrols the fields, looking for insects, and then shoots a pesticide charge at them point by point. It ensures that the crop does not accumulate harmful substances. The device can be used at night when insects emerge from where they were hiding during the day. The drone is launched automatically. In addition to the pesticide cannon, the robot is equipped with thermal and infrared cameras and an electric fly swatter.
Fighting against harmful emissions into the atmosphere
The robotic system for destroying organic waste can process up to 5,000 m3/hour. The device consists of a furnace, a gas afterburner (which leaves no harmful impurities and makes emissions environmentally friendly), and a heat exchanger (saves gas consumption when burning waste). Such robots' scope of application: includes oil, steel, and other industries, where it is necessary to achieve the required environmental indicators of emissions into the atmosphere.
Robots for garbage management
Garbage handling is one area where robotic solutions are actively being introduced. Transparency Market Research estimates that the global plastic recycling market will grow 6.8% per year over the next eight years. Robots are used for comprehensive solutions to environmental problems, whose efficiency is an order of magnitude higher than that of humans. Now digital solutions are being introduced in this sphere, the task of which is to dispose of industrial and domestic waste to combat pollution of the soil, water, and air. Many developments are already applied in international projects aimed at improving the environmental situation in the world (for example, marine robots for ecological monitoring in the Arctic). According to experts, such steps will aid in the formation of sustainable ecosystems, boost agricultural enterprise output, and lessen the detrimental impact of chemicals on the soil and human health.
Robot for waste recycling
This technology's essence is creating robotized equipment for processing waste into synthesis gas and heat, which can be used for technological needs as well as technical carbon with obtaining sorbents. The basis is the destruction of hydrocarbon raw materials without oxygen access and the use of catalysts under excess pressure. The following waste materials can be recycled: sewage sludge and industrial and agricultural waste.
Smart trashcan with waste sorting
The intelligent trash garbage can work with the help of machine learning technology. The robot analyzes each item and decides on its further fate: to bury or recycle. Principle of operation: after a person throws garbage into the hole, the robot weighs each item, cleans it of liquid, if necessary, analyzes it with a video camera and several sensors, and makes a decision: to send it to the department for waste to be buried or to the department for materials that can be recycled. The device is designed for installation in places with high traffic: office buildings, airports, sports arenas, and universities. It takes 3 seconds to analyze each discarded item, and the sorting accuracy is 90%.
Solving one problem can lead to others
New technological innovations still appear first in developed countries. Unfortunately, pollution is now the leading cause of death in developing countries, based on sources such as indoor cooking, secondhand smoke, and factory waste runoff. In addition, solving one problem can lead to new ones. For example, while more automated farms can solve environmental issues, they can also put up to 40 percent of people in developing countries dependent on agriculture for their lives out of balance. Countries that rely heavily on oil - such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Venezuela, Libya, and Kuwait - will have to start diversifying their economies and face the risk of gaining economic hardship with geopolitical implications. Thus, the prospects for developing new technologies in this area are promising. Still, one of the most challenging aspects in the coming decades is to deploy these technologies intelligently.