Researchers from Binghamton University and the State University of New York have developed a revolutionary underwater robot that can glide across the surface of water.
Researchers at the State University of New York at Binghamton have developed a self-propelled “bug” that can glide across the water’s surface, in what they hope will revolutionize underwater robotics. Image courtesy of Professor Seok-Hoon Sean Choi.
Futurists predict that by 2035, the Internet of Things (IoT) will integrate more than one trillion autonomous nodes into every aspect of human life, meaning that virtually any object, regardless of size, will be able to autonomously transmit data to a central database.
But this vision faces significant challenges, especially since 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, creating both environmental and logistical complexities. To address these issues, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) launched the Ocean of Things program.
For the past decade, Professor Seokheun “Sean” Choi of Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, who also serves as director of the Center for Advanced Sensing Technologies and Environmental Sustainability Studies (CREATES), has been working on innovative solutions with funding from the Office of Naval Research. Together with PhD graduate Anwar Elhadad ’24 and doctoral student Yang “Lexi” Gao, Choi has developed a bacteria-powered biobattery that could have a shelf life of up to 100 years.
Their new underwater robots leverage this technology, which has proven to be more reliable under harsh conditions compared to solar, kinetic, and thermal energy systems. The proprietary Janus interface, which is hydrophilic on one side and hydrophobic on the other, allows these robots to absorb nutrients from the water and retain them within the device to sustain the production of bacterial spores.
When the environment is favorable for the bacteria, they will become vegetative cells and generate electricity, but when conditions are bad, for example if it is very cold or nutrients are scarce, the bacteria will revert to spores, thus extending their operational lifespan.
Shawn Choi Seok-hoon, Professor, Binghamton University
A research team from Binghamton University has demonstrated that a bacteria-powered biobattery can generate about 1 milliwatt of electricity, enough to power the mechanical functions of a robot and operate sensors that monitor a range of environmental parameters, including water temperature, pollution levels, the movements of commercial ships and aircraft, and the behavior of aquatic animals.
This capability represents a major advancement over existing “smart floats,” which are fixed sensors secured in a fixed location.
The next step in developing these underwater robots involves determining which bacteria can most efficiently produce energy in the harsh environment of the ocean.
“We used a very common bacterial cell, but more research is needed to know what actually lives in that area of the ocean. We’ve previously demonstrated that combining multiple bacterial cells can improve sustainability and power. This is another idea. Using machine learning, we may be able to find the optimal combination of bacterial species to improve power density and sustainability.”
Shawn Choi Seok-hoon, Professor, Binghamton University
Journal References:
Elhadad, A., et al. (2024) Revolutionary Underwater Robots: Advanced Biomimetic Strategies for Self-Propelled Locomotion Across the Water Surface. Advanced Materials Technol. doi.org/10.1002/admt.202400426
