What if a boat ride could clean the water at the same time? In South Korea, startup Ecopeace says it has built exactly that.
The company’s Eco-Bot is an autonomous, solar-powered boat that uses artificial intelligence to clean floating pollutants and oil spills in real time. It also removes excess green algae, which Ecopeace says can cause mass deaths of fish and animals and pose health risks to humans.
Ecopeace says the device also collects field data about water quality conditions to help operators manage lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
The company has also developed the Eco-Station, a fixed, solar-powered water management system for large-area water purification projects.
Its latest project is the Healing Boat, an autonomous ferry that transports people across water while purifying it. According to Ecopeace, the boat can purify up to 100 tons of water per day and carry up to eight passengers per ride.
Ecopeace describes it as “a model that combines water quality improvement and waterfront use within a single public infrastructure concept.”
“Purification systems and treatment equipment typically belong to back-end operations,” the company said in a statement.
“Public use areas, such as park lakes, recreational waterfronts, and tourism-oriented water spaces, are managed separately. As a result, even when water quality management is essential, it can still appear to citizens as a cost-heavy maintenance function rather than something that directly improves public service.”
By day, the Healing Boat runs as a guided tour boat with a 30-minute tour of local freshwater facilities, sharing information about water systems and tourism resources. At night, visitors can board it for food truck tours and water fireworks displays.
Ecopeace says the boat also integrates 3D digital video content so guests can explore underwater ecosystems and contribute to conservation and sustainability efforts by boarding it.
“Because purification happens in a visible, citizen-facing way, it becomes easier for agencies to explain why environmental investment matters and what practical benefits it creates,” the statement said.
“Instead of remaining an invisible back-end function, water quality management becomes something people can directly see, understand, and in some cases even participate in. This makes the Healing Boat especially relevant in places where water quality, public use, and city image work together.”
A TikTok video by Going Green Media said Ecopeace works across South Korea and Southeast Asia. The company says the Healing Boat could be used in cities with large waterfront spaces.
The Healing Boat received a 2025 CES Innovation Award in the Smart City category last year.
“Public freshwater management is no longer only about water quality. It increasingly sits at the intersection of citizen experience, urban identity, environmental policy, and spatial value,” Ecopeace said.
“That is why future waterfront management may require more than adding treatment equipment alone. In some places, it may become increasingly important to consider approaches that can both improve water quality and create visible public value.”
Read more from GoodGoodGood.
