Open-source fishing robot starts collecting microplastics from British lakes

A robotic fish that collects microplastics from waterways has been turned from an idea into a working prototype. The design came to life after it won the University of Surrey’s public competition, the Natural Robotics Contest.

The competition, which ran in the summer of 2022, invited the public to submit an idea for a bio-inspired robot that could help the world.

An international jury chose student Eleanor Mackintosh’s robotic fishing concept because it can help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in the water. The winning design was then converted into a working prototype.