PLASTRACE: A Distributed IoT Architecture for Active Microplastic Detection and Intervention

The invisible nature of microplastic pollution has long been its greatest defense. By hiding in plain sight, it has evaded political will and technological intervention. PLASTRACE destroys this invisibility. By combining the optical precision of computer vision with the connectivity of IoT and the predictive power of Data Science, we propose a scalable “Sentinel Network” capable of monitoring the vast river systems of the Indo-Pacific. This system does not claim to clean the ocean overnight. Instead, it offers something more immediate and practical: the ability to see the enemy. It turns the passive river into an intelligent entity that can signal for help, locate the source of the injury, and, for the first time, defend itself.

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