The Future of Retail Will Be Self-Driving
Occupied on nearly every beach known to man, the tetrahedral concrete blocks known as tetrapods operate as an artificial sea defense. Their ultimate function are to dissipate the force of incoming waves and to reduce displacement. According to critics, however, these tetrapods have been destroying the natural scenery along coastlines and tend to be dislodged over time by the force of the ocean constantly crashing against them. So what can we do about it?
Taiwanese designer Sheng-Hung Lee and his partner Wan Kee Lee might have a solution. Known as the TetraPOT, this concrete structure was designed as not only a replacement to the tetrapods which occupy our beaches, but to subsequently instill a symbiosis between artificial and natural sea defense systems.
“TetraPOT is a sea defence sustainable system made of concrete, organic materials and plants. It comes with plant seeds in a decomposable pot. Randomly distributed TetraPOTs along coastlines will eventually interlock to create a long-lasting sea defence of growing trees and roots that help keep the blocks in place. As plants grow inside out from TetraPOT, the roots will intertwine and gradually become a natural sea defence.”
– Sheng-Hung Lee and Wan Kee Lee
Photo Credit: Sheng-Hung Lee and Wan Kee Lee
Made out of concrete, the TetraPOT comes with plant seeds in a decomposable pot and will be randomly distributed along coastlines, mutually interlocking to create a long-lasting sea defense. But why the plant seeds, you might be asking? They serve a multifaceted role: 1) as a response to the unfortunate elimination of more than 35% of the world’s mangroves due to climate change; and 2) to help combat soil erosion and create natural habitats by allowing the roots to grow out and intertwine, gradually creating a natural sea defense.
This intertwining effect will help create a structured web, thus further enabling the stability of the TetraPOTs’ interlocking, increasing their lifespan. If you’d like to see more photos of these artificial structures, be sure to click here.
About the author
B.J. Murphy is the Editor and Social Media Manager of Serious Wonder. He is a futurist, philosopher, activist, author and poet. B.J. is an Affiliate Scholar for the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET) and an Ambassador for the robotics company Humai.
You may also like
