The Korea Institute of Science and Technology announced the creation of innovative floating drones. They are able to effectively remove microplastics from water bodies. These devices work on the principle of a robot hoover, but instead of dust, they clean water from tiny plastic particles. The drones are equipped with hydrophilic toothed structures that use surface tension to trap microplastics. Water is attracted to these prongs, forming water ‘bridges’ that allow plastic particles to adhere. This technology effectively removes elements ranging in size from 1 µm to 4 mm and prevents clogging of the system. During tests, the drone was able to extract more than 80% of microplastics, including foamed polystyrene, polypropylene and polyethylene. The device can operate in real time in both oceans, lakes or rivers. In the future, scientists are considering applying the technology to aquaculture farms and at home