Robos saving the planet: How Peruvian environmentalists are using robots to save Amazon

Environmental conservationists combating deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon have gained a powerful new tool through a collaboration between non-profit organization Junglekeepers International and robotics company ABB. The partnership involves a pilot project using a seed-planting robot in the rainforest to aid reforestation efforts.Junglekeepers' Vice President, Juan Julio Durand Torres, himself a former illegal miner and logger turned conservationist, highlighted the need for advanced technology to counteract the destructive capabilities of miners and loggers. He expressed the belief that by utilizing a robot for tree planting and involving local communities in the process, they could effectively combat deforestation together.Robot comes to help save AmazonABB provided Junglekeepers with their solar-powered 'YuMi' robot, originally designed for automation in various industries. The robot is connected to a base in Sweden through solar satellite wifi, enabling remote control from a distance of 12,000km.Junglekeepers CEO Mohsin Kazmi revealed that based on their experience with the robot, they could plant up to 600 trees in a single morning. This productivity would amount to reforesting an area equivalent to two soccer fields daily.How the robot is being usedIn the pilot project, Junglekeepers transported the robot along the Las Piedras River to their base deep within the Peruvian jungle in the region known as "Madre de Dios." The introduction of the robot has freed up the conservationists' time spent in nurseries, allowing them to focus on other vital tasks for the reforestation project.The robot has the capacity to remove soil and plant seeds simultaneously, accommodating 16 at a time. The seeds are then placed in the nursery to germinate, simplifying the process.Junglekeepers is now exploring the potential for implementing this system on a larger scale in other Amazon communities. Dennis del Castillo Torres, program director at the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP), stressed the urgency of working together with technology, science, and local knowledge to protect the endangered Amazon rainforest, which houses numerous indigenous groups.A Shrinking AmazonPreserving the Amazon is crucial in the fight against climate change due to its significant role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world, and Peru possesses the second-largest section after Brazil. Brazilian government data from 2022 reveals that approximately three football fields' worth of virgin forest were cleared every minute, underscoring the pressing need to address deforestation.Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.