Introduction

oclean is a project created by Kafkoders in order to help clean the ocean from trash via using ant-robots whose behaviour is based in ants behaviour when it comes to anthill clean up process. The proposed algorithm is Ant Clustering Optimization (ACO) based in the one described in this paper. So on, the solution proposed in this challenge is not just to clean up the oceans but to raise awareness of how we are damaging the ocean and how can we help to clean it and save the Earth!

PROBLEMATICS

As we all know, the ocean is full of trash which is having a huge impact on marine life and on our own lives! According to a new study, up to 88% percent of the ocean's surface is now polluted with plastic trash and it is damaging the Earth and the lifes or their habitants (as described in this post). It has also been estimated that up to 8 million tones of plastic goes into the ocean every year, as described in National Geographic or in this website.

Not to forget the problem on the lack of information that people have about how plastics and trash are being dumped into the ocean every year and how it is affecting not just our life but the Earth's and Marine Species lifes.

Solution & Resources

Since the main objective of this is a study is based on a research, we aim to develop an algorithm based in ACO and path-finding in order to get to clean the ocean from trash in the most efficient way possible. So on, the project has been highly influenced by the algorithm described in the paper mentioned above which explains how the algorithm should be implemented and which are the parameters to take into account so to create an algorithm which can cluster different points in a matrix with no knowledge about the environment.

A website and an iOS application has been also developed so to present our algorithm and to raise awareness so that people can figure it out how the ocean currently is and what can they do to help save it. Both the website and the iOS application let the user see how the system will work and which is the algorithm behaviour via allowing the user to run a simulation of ant-robots grouping trash.

Additionally, the solutions proposed to raise awareness go from funding our project with a self-develped crypto-coin called Kafkoin or via any ordinal payment method, also news are presented in order to let the people know the current state of oceans, ONGs information is displayed so that people can donate them since they are also focused in cleaning up the ocean, etc.

github project

https://github.com/kafkoders/oclean

CONCLUSIONS

With further research and more data, this solution will be implemented and applied to real enviroments in order to test if it is applicable.

Anyways, we are taking this opportunity to try to raise awareness of how we are damaging the Earth and what can we do to save it.