SOTAB 1 Tracks Down Oil Spills

With the sea being the main means of transporting oil, it is inevitable that accidental spills will continue to happen, being a threat to the marine environment. An immediate cleanup response is essential in order to minimize the negative impact around the environment, and thankfully we have the SOTAB 1 (Spilled Oil Tracking Autonomous Buoy) robot from Osaka University that features imaging sensors that help it track down floating gobs of oil from a distance. Viscosity sensors will then tell it whether oil is in the area, while a wind monitor, depth meter and water thermometer garners addition data. Each SOTAB 1 is GPS-equipped for easier location, and multiple SOTAB 1s working in unison make it a snap to monitor a wide area.