Challenge
Creating Open hardware technologies to explore and protect the ocean
Open data resources aim to accelerate the development of products that are good for the environment and the ocean in particular. Instead of hoarding knowledge and technology, we should be sharing it, to save the planet and our lives.
Toxic chemicals - industries including pollutants such as asbestos, lead, phosphates, oils, mercury, nitrates, and petrochemicals.
Land runoff - man-made contaminants end up in the water from fertilizer, petroleum, pesticides and animal waste.
Oil spills - Crude oil is toxic to marine life and extremely difficult to clean up. 12% of the oil entering the oceans each year is from oil spills.
Littering - Over the last several decades, humans have dumped tons of garbage into the sea. One aluminum can takes 200 years to degrade in water.
Contaminated water supplies and pollutants can cause hormonal problems, reproductive problems, nervous system damage and kidney damage.
Bacteria turns mercury into its most harmful form. Mercury exposure can cause Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's and Heart Disease.
Pollutants on the beach can cause physical reactions including stomach aches, diarrhea, and rashes.
Scoutbots develop open hardware technologies to explore and protect the ocean. Protei 011 Optimist' for example is a kind of seafaring drone that cruises the ocean, monitoring levels of plastic, oil and radioactivity.
Everything Scoutbot develops is licensed under an Open Source license and documented in detail. They invite everyone to contribute, use, modify and distribute their technology.