Robotic Fish to Monitor Pollution

A soft robot designed in the form of a salamander is displayed
in Singapore. Photo: Reuters
A soft robot designed in the form of a salamander is displayed in Singapore. Photo: Reuters
TT
20

Robotic Fish to Monitor Pollution

A soft robot designed in the form of a salamander is displayed
in Singapore. Photo: Reuters
A soft robot designed in the form of a salamander is displayed in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

To monitor the levels of antibiotics in the water, among other pollutants, researchers from the United States have created a new robotic fish that swim through streams and lakes.

The prototype will soon be sent below the surface of the lakes near Michigan, which are under threat from industrial pollution and contaminants from farming, according to the German news agency (DPA).

The New Scientist website reported Alicia Douglas at the Water Rising Institute saying: “The water is getting increasingly contaminated with multiple pollutants,” and noting that antibiotics are among them are becoming a growing risk because we know so little about how they spread.

Xiaobo Tan at Michigan State University said: “The idea is to put sensors on the robots so that you can gather data from different locations in an automated manner,” and explained that understanding the antibiotic levels in different parts of the lake, it should be easier to work out where they are coming from.

Robofish aren’t the only robots monitoring pollutants around the world. A robotic orca is tracking pollution in a reservoir in Tibet, and an artificial swan is doing the same in Singapore’s Pandan Reservoir.



Musk Says Tesla, Samsung Electronics Sign $16.5 Billion Chip Supply Deal 

The Tesla logo is seen at the company's stand during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Center in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. (AFP) 
The Tesla logo is seen at the company's stand during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Center in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. (AFP) 
TT
20

Musk Says Tesla, Samsung Electronics Sign $16.5 Billion Chip Supply Deal 

The Tesla logo is seen at the company's stand during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Center in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. (AFP) 
The Tesla logo is seen at the company's stand during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) at the Shanghai World Expo and Convention Center in Shanghai on July 28, 2025. (AFP) 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the US automaker had signed a $16.5 billion deal to source chips from Samsung Electronics, a move expected to bolster the South Korean tech giant's loss-making contract manufacturing business.

Samsung shares rose more than 4% after the news.

"Samsung's giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla's next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate," Musk said in a post on X on Monday.

If Musk was referring to Samsung's upcoming Taylor, Texas, plant, the deal could revive the project that has faced delays amid Samsung's struggles to retain and win major customers.

"Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency. This is a critical point, as I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress. And the fab is conveniently located not far from my house," Musk said on his social media platform.

Samsung had earlier announced the $16.5 billion chip supply deal without naming the client, saying the customer had requested confidentiality about the details of the deal, which will run through the end of 2033.

Three sources briefed about the matter told Reuters that Tesla was the customer for the deal.

The deal comes as Samsung faces mounting pressure in the race to produce artificial intelligence chips, where it trails rivals such as TSMC and SK Hynix. This lag has weighed heavily on its profits and share price.

Samsung, the world's top memory chip maker, also makes logic chips designed by customers through its foundry business.

Pak Yuak, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said the latest deal would help reduce losses at Samsung's foundry business, which he estimated exceeded 5 trillion won ($3.63 billion) in the first half of the year.

Analysts say Samsung has struggled with the defection of key clients to TSMC for advanced chips. TSMC counts Apple, Nvidia and Qualcomm among its customers.

The Samsung-Tesla deal may also be significant for South Korea, which is seeking US partnerships in chips and shipbuilding amid last-ditch efforts to reach a trade deal to eliminate or reduce potential 25% US tariffs.

Samsung is grappling to boost production yields of its latest 2-nanometer technology, but the order is unlikely to involve the cutting-edge tech, said Lee Min-hee, an analyst at BNK Investment & Securities.

Samsung has been losing market share to TSMC in contract manufacturing, underscoring technological challenges the firm faces in mastering advanced chip manufacturing to attract clients like Apple and Nvidia, analysts said.