The inventors of some tiny reef-repairing robots are looking for donations to help start their development, and in return you could have your name on one of the robots — or even a reconstructed coral reef!
PFK reported on the coralbots last year. They've been developed to work as a team, with each robot individually following simple rules to piece together damaged pieces of coral, allowing them to regrow.
The approach is inspired by the behaviour of natural swarms of insects such as bees and wasps, which collectively build substantial and complex structures.
Coralbots (pictured above) were developed by a team of researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, the project providing an innovative solution to restore the function of both shallow and deep reefs worldwide.
In order to help fund development, the team has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $107,000 (around £70,053) in six months.
If you pledge $25/£16.37 or more, your name will be printed on one of the robots.
For $1,000/£654.70 or more your name will be etched on a stone that will become part of the structure of the team's first reconstructed reef — expected to take place by October 2014.
To find out more visit the Kickstarter website.
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