A robot prototype called the "Row-bot", can power itself from its own dirty swimming water has reportedly been developed by academics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) and Bristol BioEnergy Centre. Inspired by the same feeding mechanism as the water boatman insect, the "Row-bot" works by digesting the nutrients from the dirty water in its microbial fuel cell (MFC) stomach, using the biodegradation of organic matter to generate electricity for recharging using bio-inspired mechanisms. Jonathan Rossiter, Professor of Robotics at the BRL, said "the work represents a crucial step in the development of autonomous robots capable of long-term self-power." The research was funded by the Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) through the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council.
A robot prototype called the "Row-bot", can power itself from its own dirty swimming water has reportedly been developed by academics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) and Bristol BioEnergy Centre. Inspired by the same feeding mechanism as the water boatman insect, the "Row-bot" works by digesting the nutrients from the dirty water in its microbial fuel cell (MFC) stomach, using the biodegradation of organic matter to generate electricity for recharging using bio-inspired mechanisms. Jonathan Rossiter, Professor of Robotics at the BRL, said "the work represents a crucial step in the development of autonomous robots capable of long-term self-power." The Row-bot is anticipated to be useful for environmental clean-up operations of contaminants, particularly oil spills, and the monitoring of hazardous environments.