Solar Powered UFO Keeps Osaka Canals Clean

Japanese engineering firm NTT Facilities has developed a pair of UFO shaped water purifiers that will be used to clean Osaka's canals and the moat of Osaka Castle.

The solar powered, saucer shaped "Solar UFOs" weigh over 3 tons each, and measure 5ft tall and 16ft across. During daylight hours the machine's solar panels power its filtration system, pumping fresh oxygen into the water while removing impurities. The clean water is then sprayed out through a nozzle at the top of the craft. The resulting fountain keeps the water surface clean while helping to cool the solar panels. At night, a 1.3-killowatt solar battery powers LED lamps lining the edge of the craft.

The Solar UFOs are being deployed as part of Osaka's Aqua Metropolis festival.

[Pink Tentacle]