(Picture: University of California)

Fancy taking a dip in the ocean while saving the world at the same time?

That’s the unlikely scenario being posed by a new bikini – which is designed to absorb pollutants from the ocean as the wearer swims around in the sea.

The Sponge Suit bikini, as it’s known, has been designed by the University of California, and just won first prize in the Reshape15: Wearable Technology Competition.

And as for how it works, it’s made from a newly developed material that’s been given the most imaginative name possible – sponge.


The ‘sponge’ is designed for cleaning up oil and chemical spills, as well as desalinating water – and is capable of absorbing up to 25 times its own weight.



The product was the brainchild of a team led by electrical engineering professor Mihri Ozkan, who enlisted the help of design firm Eray Carbajo to turn the idea into a wearable, functioning product.

(Picture: University of California)

Ozkan said: ‘This is a super material that is not harmful to the environment and very cost effective to produce.’

Describing the bikini, a spokesperson for Eray Carbajo said: ‘The form of the Sponge Suit is inspired by the super-porous, mesh-like structure of the Sponge material.

‘The final form of the 3D print shell was obtained through the various iterations of the same undulating form.

MORE: Hate crime jumps 18%: Here’s how not to commit hate crime

MORE: Don’t panic, but Google has recorded everything you’ve said to your phone

‘The filler amount and the allocation were identified by creating several design alternatives, considering the form and the ergonomics of the human body, while pushing the limits in translucent swimwear design.’

Here’s a video to tell you a bit more about the bikini.