Protei is a highly manoeuvrable, flexible, shape shifting sailing boat - developed by the company Scoutbots - capable of cleaning large tracts by soaking up the oil quickly.
It was deisgned partly in repsonse to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill - the largest marine oil spill in history, wreaking havoc on wildlife habitats and the local fishing industry.
Cesar Harada - CEO of Scoutbots
Scoutbot's goal is to deploy a fleet of Protei globally. The design is open-source so is accessible to people all over the world to re-create, modify and join in the effort to clean up our oceans. Cesar Harada is a passionate advocate for “Open Hardware for the Environment” and providing people with the technology and therfore power to take initiative and be part of the solution not the problem.
This is just one of the many examples of harnessing the 'forces of nature' to invent innovative remedies for man-made enviornmnetal problems.