VIDEO: THIS ROBOTIC EEL HUNTS DOWN WATER POLLUTION!

This robotic eel is the brainchild of researchers from EPFL, together with other institutes. The idea of the robotic eel is for it to swim through contaminated water to find the source of 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 researchers test the robot eel on a regular basis and they have reported that the eel can successfully map the variations conductivity and generate temperature maps. The ultimate goal of the robot eel is to be able to detect heavy metals like mercury or other pollutants. 

The robot eel can follow a preprogrammed path and has also the potential to make its own decisions and independently track down the source of pollution. Compared with conventional propeller-driven underwater robots, these robotic eels are less likely to get caught or stuck in algae or branches as they move around through the water. 

Have a look at the video to see how the robot eel moves through the water, gets tested and find out more about how this invention can reach its potential goals.