ONE PER CENT

摘要

A reservoir in south-west Singapore has some unusual visitors: robotic swans that are sampling and assessing the water quality. Their bodies are plastic and contain a suite of sensors that measure pH, oxygen content, cloudiness and chlorophyll levels. Designed at the National University of Singapore, NUSwans operate by remote control but can also patrol the lake autonomously, using GPS to make sure they are always sampling a new stretch of water.