Oil spills devastate marine ecosystems, and conventional cleanup methods are often dangerous and inefficient. Our project, the Oil Recovery and Cleanup Autonomous (ORCA) system, presents a safer, smarter solution. This fully autonomous prototype integrates AI for oil detection (97% precision), LiDAR-based navigation for obstacle avoidance, and an optimized oleophilic surface for collection. Rigorous testing confirmed high skimming efficiencies up to 75.7% and excellent water rejection of 96%. ORCA demonstrates a viable, next-generation approach to oil spill remediation, capable of operating effectively without risking human lives, protecting both our oceans and the people who work to save them.
This is how I came up with the idea for this project:The idea began after hearing a cleanup worker describe how oil spills harmed both the ocean and her health. That moment made us realize cleanup should protect people too. A class conversation sparked a mission to use AI to make oil recovery safer, smarter, and more humane.
