OSP robot: the machine that eats oil slicks
As a kid, I remember reading about a monster called 'the Great Gulper' who made a career for himself drinking up oil slicks in the sea.
Decades later, it seems this idea has almost become a reality, with the invention of the OSP robot; a smart gizmo that helps us feeble humans suck oil out of the sea once it's been deployed in a sticken area. The idea is that when a spillage takes place, an army the robots is sent in quickly to contain the oil: they connect together and form and inflatable barrier around the slick, stopping it from spreading further -- a bit like the methods firefighters use to contain a blaze. The concept is still in prototype form, but let's give it some love because it's a great, simple idea that could do a lot to protect wildlife. [Via Geeky Gadgets]
