About ORCAS
Impact
Impact of Oil Spills in the Philippines and Fukui Regions:
- Philippines incurred damages accounting to ₱4.93 billion in 2023.
- Total volume of oil lost to the environment from tanker spills in 2023 was approximately 2,000 tonnes.
- MT Princess Empress oil spill affected approximately 35000 hectares of marine life and more than 200,000 people in barangays
- Fukui: 82 oil spills over 10 years, averaging 8 cases annually.
Research Questions
- How can ORCAS’s design be optimized for scalability and deployment in diverse marine environments, such as those found in the Philippines and Japan?
- What design modifications can improve the integration and synchronization of ORCAS subsystems, to maximize operational efficiency?
- How does ORCAS compare to existing oil spill cleanup technologies in terms of recovery efficiency, operational speed, and environmental impact under standardized test conditions?
What is ORCAS?
ORCAS (Oil Recovery Clean-Up Automated System) is an AI-powered, eco-friendly oil spill cleanup system that uses innovative filtration and automated technology. The global demand for oil has led to increased oil transportation by sea, making oil spills a persistent environmental hazard, particularly in maritime nations like the Philippines and Japan. Traditional oil spill cleanup methods such as mechanical recovery, chemical dispersants, and burning are often inefficient, hazardous, and leave substantial oil residues, causing lasting environmental harm.
To address these challenges, ORCAS offers an innovative solution by combining automation, AI, and eco-friendly materials for a more effective and sustainable cleanup. ORCAS integrates an ocean vacuum with coconut-mica filters that maximize oil absorption and minimize water intake, outperforming conventional sorbents and significantly reducing pollution. Powered by AI, ORCAS autonomously maps, navigates, and performs spill cleanup operations with minimal human intervention, ensuring real-time monitoring and enhanced efficiency.
With its use of biodegradable coconut husks and mica minerals, ORCAS’s filtration system is both reusable and environmentally friendly. The AI-driven mapping, targeted suction, and sustainable filtration approach position ORCAS as a scalable and efficient solution for oil spill response, advancing marine conservation and sustainability efforts.
Main Highlights
- Automated ‘smart’ oil cleanup system
- Innovative filtration and extraction system
- Real-time monitoring of oil spillage
Anticipated Outcomes
- Enhanced oil spill cleanup efficiency
- Eco-friendly and sustainable solution
- Reduced human risk and labor costs
- Scalability and industry applications
How ORCAS Works
ORCAS vs. Traditional Cleanup Methods
| Feature | ORCAS | Traditional Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Filter Type | Biodegradable and sustainable filters with higher yield than conventional filters. | Traditional filters acts as pollutants and give a low quality extraction |
| Automation | Reusable system with least amount of human intervention | Manual cleanup, high human effort, so human workers are at risk |
| Monitoring | Autonomous system allows for real-time monitoring | Difficult to contain and monitor the spillage |
| Eco-Impact | Minimal to no disruption to ecosystems or marine life | Methods like Burning, Chemical Dispersion, Physical Absorbents disrupts eco-systems. |
Methodology
As the global demand for oil-based products rises, the rate of oil being transported rises as well. Oil workers and vessels are often exposed to hazardous chemicals and dangerous situations, despite ongoing technological advances, traditional oil spill cleanup methods remain inefficient, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and dangerous. To revolutionize oil spill cleanup through automation and advanced filtration technology, our startup was founded with the vision of creating a more efficient, sustainable, and safer solution.
ORCAS integrates cutting-edge technology, geo-tracking, and eco-friendly filtration to lessen the risk of human workers in risky situations. This innovative approach fills a gap in the market by offering a scalable, sustainable, and highly effective solution to the growing threat of oil spills worldwide. ORCAS with its subsystems represents a significant leap forward, addressing the inefficiencies of current methods and setting a new standard for environmental protection and disaster response.
Research Approach
Mixed-Method Triangulation
- Interviews with 4 experts in the Philippines and Japan.
- 2 experts in marine engineering and similar.
- 2 experts in computer engineering and similar.
Interview
- Lab-controlled experiment that took place in De La Salle Lipa’s laboratory
- Testing of the coconut-mica filter’s performance.
Experimentation
Analysis
- A combination of comparative and thematic analysis will be applied to evaluate the results from the interviews conducted with experts.
Interview
- Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize the filter’s performance across different experimental conditions.
- Inferential statistics, including ANOVA and regression analysis, will be employed to identify correlations between environmental variables
Experimentation
Business Model
References
- Total Damages due to Oil Spill Reaches PhP 4.93 Billion in 2023 | Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines. (2024, March 26). Psa.gov.ph.
- ITOPF Statistics (2022)
- Mongabay Environmental News (2023) Cabrera, J. (2023, December 13). Philippines oil spill may reverberate long after cleanup declared complete. Mongabay Environmental News.