Iranian innovators have developed an autonomous robotic system capable of detecting oil spills on the surface of the water, navigating toward contaminated areas, and collecting the pollution without requiring direct human intervention.

Developed by a technology team in the southern Iranian province of Bushehr, the system uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and cameras to identify oil slicks and automatically move toward them.

The technology is designed to address one of the major challenges in responding to marine oil pollution, where oil can rapidly spread from the site of a spill under the influence of wind, sea currents and weather conditions.

Arastu Mozafari, a member of the Bushehr-based robotics team, said the system can detect oil pollution once the oil reaches the water’s surface.

“The device intelligently identifies oil slicks caused by oil spills from ships as well as pipelines that have reached the surface of the water, and moves toward the slick,” Mozafari was quoted as saying by ISNA.

Once the system reaches the contaminated area, it draws the oil-water mixture into the device, where a built-in centrifugal system separates the oil from the water before the water is discharged, he added.
Mozafari said the system relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify oil slicks from images.

“The device uses image processing, machine learning and artificial intelligence to detect oil slicks. The system uses a drone to monitor the area and capture images,” he said.

The drone conducts surveillance flights once every hour. If an oil slick is detected, information about its location is transmitted to the main system through an autopilot or navigation system, he highlighted.
“This system operates completely intelligently and without the need for an operator.

After detecting the oil slick, the device automatically moves toward it, while five subordinate robots simultaneously move toward the slick, identify the polluted area using cameras and then begin suctioning the oil,” Mozafari said.

The technology is currently at the prototype stage. According to Mozafari, the final version will be around 40 times larger than the existing prototype and will have a capacity of approximately 1,300 liters.

The autonomous platform is also designed for extended operations at sea, he said, explaining that solar panels, an underwater camera mounted beneath the platform, and its battery system allow it to remain on patrol for up to 12 hours.

The developer said the system has now entered the industrial phase of development and has already attracted several orders from Iran’s Nouri Petrochemical Company.
“We hope to receive more orders. The device has been tested, and we have obtained good results from the tests,” he said.