Researchers from EPFL, together with other institutes, have developed a robotic eel that swims through contaminated water to find the source of the pollution. The sensor-equipped robot can be controlled remotely or move on its own. In tests carried out in a small section of Lake Geneva, the robot was able to generate maps of water conductivity and temperature.
The Envirobot project, part of the Nano-Tera research program, is a joint initiative involving EPFL, the University of Lausanne, the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland (HES-SO) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG). Its cross-disciplinary approach brings together engineers, biologists and chemists.
