

Team



Carlo Ratti - Director

Assaf Biderman - Associate Director

Luigi Farrauto - Team Leader

Carnaven Chiu - Interactive Designer

Adam Pruden

David Anderson

Malima Wolf

Diego Maniloff

Sey Min

Rex Britter

Lindsey Hoshaw

Jennifer Dunnam

David Lee

Kristian Kloeckl

Dietmar Offenhuber

Jan Kokol

Phil Salesses

Matthew Kai Johnson Roberson

Walter Nicolino

Giovanni de Niederhausern

Samuel Colle Dominguez Maldonado

Andrea Cassi

Alberto Bottero

Filipa Carvalho

Eric Baczuk

Brendan Englot

Rob Hummel

Brooks Reed



For more information, please contact:

senseable-biennale2010@mit.edu



For press inquiries, please contact:

senseable-press@mit.edu





MIT Accessibility

















Carlo Ratti -Assaf Biderman -Luigi Farrauto -Carnaven Chiu -Adam PrudenDavid AndersonMalima WolfDiego ManiloffSey MinRex BritterLindsey HoshawJennifer DunnamDavid LeeKristian KloecklDietmar OffenhuberJan KokolPhil SalessesMatthew Kai Johnson RobersonWalter NicolinoGiovanni de NiederhausernSamuel Colle Dominguez MaldonadoAndrea CassiAlberto BotteroFilipa CarvalhoEric BaczukBrendan EnglotRob HummelBrooks ReedFor more information, please contact:For press inquiries, please contact:







By autonomously navigating the water’s surface, Seaswarm proposes a new system for ocean-skimming and oil removal.Seaswarm uses a photovoltaic powered conveyor belt made of a thin nanowire mesh to propel itself and collect oil. The nanomaterial, patented at MIT, can absorb up to 20 times its weight in oil. The flexible conveyor belt softly rolls over the ocean’s surface, absorbing oil while deflecting water because of its hydrophobic properties.



Seaswarm is intended to work as a fleet, or “swarm” of vehicles, which communicate their location through GPS and WiFi in order to create an organized system for collection that can work continuously without human support. Because they are smaller than commercial skimmers attached to large fishing vessels, they are able to navigate hard to reach places like estuaries and coast lines. Seaswarm works by detecting the edge of a spill and moving inward until it has removed the oil from a single site before joining other vehicles that are still cleaning. Oil is "digested" locally so that Seaswarm does not need to make repeated trips back to shore, which would dramatically slow collection time.



The fleet uses cutting edge nanotechnology to solve current environmental problems while envisioning long-term solutions for the future. With a new design strategy we can revive and preserve the quality of our oceans.



