Can environmentalism be art? Can art heal the environment? This strange floating installation deploys 13 flying saucer-like robots into polluted waters in an effort to both clean up the pollution and make a statement about the methods we might employ to heal our world.
(all images via: We Make Money Not Art)
Nanodrizas is a project from Mexican artist Arcángel Constantini consisting of 13 floating junkbots that look a lot like quirky little UFOs. The artist constructed the ‘bots from materials like discarded toys, and the shape is no accident. The flying saucer form allows for the maximum surface area on top for placement of solar panels. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the shape is adorable and calls to mind friendly little toys.
These sweet little floating gadgets are more than just floating toys, They are equipped with sensors to measure the level of contamination in the water and a radio frequency communication network to transmit the data. The Nanodrizas communicate with one another as well as a master center as they take measurements and then dispense beneficial bacteria to counteract the pollution in the water.
The small fleet of pollution-fighting machines will not be enough to save all of the world’s waterways, but even their limited dispatch is inspiring. The art project-turned-environmentalist message is a reminder to all of us that even small steps can make a big difference.

