heading
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.
Documentation
AI enhanced Oil Recovery and Cleanup Autonomous (ORCA) system prototype with LiDAR-Based navigation and Oleophilic optimization This thesis paper presents a comprehensive research report documenting the design, development, testing, and future vision of the ORCA system; an autonomous AI-powered prototype for marine oil spill cleanup. The paper includes a detailed problem analysis, literature review of conventional methods, step-by-step breakdown of the prototype's hardware and AI integration, extensive testing with data analysis, and strategic plans for modular upgrades and swarm deployment. Structured with clear visuals, graphs, and citations, the paper balances scientific depth with practical engineering insights, offering a deep and innovative contribution to environmental robotics.
