'Most cleanup methods simply can’t detect particles this small and the ones that can are far too expensive for cities,' says Aaryav Srivastava, who has created Aquabotix

Bob Bruton
about 13 hours ago

Aaryav Srivastava and Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall are shown recently at the Simcoe County Regional Science and Technology Fair.Photo from City of Barrie

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No problem is too small for Aaryav Srivastava.

The Bradford District High School Grade 9 student has been recognized for Aquabotix, his AI-powered UV detection and autonomous microplastic removal device.

“It isn’t just a robot or a gadget, it’s a way to head towards a sustainable future and protecting our marine life, as well as keeping our local waterways clean for the community,” he told Barrie city council recently.

And Srivastava was honoured by Mayor Alex Nuttall, who attended the Simcoe County Regional Science and Technology Fair and saw Aquabotix.

“I was mind-blown. I was wowed,” Nuttall said. “I sincerely hope it’s not a project that sits on the shelf.”

Srivastava said the problem is that every year, millions of tonnes of microplastics pollute our lakes and oceans. He said they’re invisible and are harming our fish and ecosystems, as well as our drinking water.

“And until now, they’ve been nearly impossible to catch without spending a fortune,” Srivastava said. “Most cleanup methods simply can’t detect particles this small and the ones that can are far too expensive for cities.

“This leaves a massive gap in how we protect our water,” he added. “This is why I created Aquabotix.”

Srivastava describes it as a practical AI-powered solution which uses a floating robot and ultra-fluorescent light, as well as AI visions, to automatically detect microplastics in water.

“After it detects those plastics, it uses an onboard filtration system to automatically filter those microplastics out of the water, in real time,” he said. “So by combining our detection and cleanup into one affordable system, Aquabotix makes removing microplastics from our waters faster, cheaper and smarter.

“Our smart technology can tackle the biggest problems, the biggest pollution problems, that are facing our planet today and with Aquabotix we can start by cleaning our waters today," the student added.

The Simcoe County Regional Science and Technology Fair is an annual event celebrating excellence in science, technology, engineering and math.

Nearly 400 students submitted almost 250 projects, separated into five categories: animal and plant sciences, computer science and engineering, earth and environmental sciences, human and health sciences, and physical and mathematical sciences.

Five projects from Simcoe County District School Board students in Grades 7 to 12 were selected to move forward to represent Simcoe County at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, from May 23 to 28, in Alberta.

On March 28, Nuttall attended Bear Creek Secondary School and saw Srivastava’s Aquabotix.

He won the Barrie Mayor’s Award for Community Improvement, awarded to an outstanding project related to urban planning, development or the sustainability of communities.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that are microscopic and up to five millimetres in size. They come in different shapes, sizes and forms.

Some examples include beads, fibres, foam and fragments. Their composition can also vary widely, as they are made of many different types of plastic and have different chemical additives such as dyes or fillers.

Aaryav Srivastava is shown with his Aquqbotix project at the Simcoe County Regional Science and Technology Fair. | Image supplied