2025 Galleries
The Spark Gallery pages are one of our most popular design destinations, with thousands of visitors each year. Check out some of the latest Spark entries, in the galleries below.
Galleries // 2025 Spark:Spring Student // PLOOM
PLOOM
Finalist
Competition: Spark:Spring Student
Designer: Semin Park
Design Type: Product & industrial, Transportation & Mobility
Company / Organization / School: Kumoh National Institute, KDM +
Team Members: Semin Park, Changyu Seo & Seongbi Park
This project introduces a sustainable marine restoration system using drone-and-buoy collaboration. As ocean warming accelerates stratification and disrupts plankton growth, the system begins by launching a drone that scans surface temperature and layering anomalies. Upon detection, it deploys a CTD sensor to collect real-time conductivity, temperature, and depth data. Nearby buoys receive this data and autonomously reposition within a 2–3 km grid. Each buoy houses a thermal exchange pipe that draws cold deep-sea water and circulates it upward, effectively balancing surface temperature and alleviating stratification. This process restores the habitat for phytoplankton—organisms critical to marine biodiversity and global carbon cycles. The entire system is solar-powered, modular, and scalable across ocean territories. One drone can manage multiple buoys within its coverage area, maximizing efficiency. Over time, restored plankton populations support fish diversity, enhance blue carbon absorption, and contribute to climate mitigation. The platform offers a long-term, low-intervention approach to combat oceanic environmental degradation through real-time data and adaptive action.
