Autonomous Ground-Based Robotic System
FOR THE SMART DISPERSAL OF SEEDS IN FOREST ENVIRONMENTS
ITCL (Castile and León Institute of Technology)
Castile and León Regional Government
A stand-alone solution designed to operate in rugged forest environments that have been degraded by wildfires.
What is it and what is it used for?
A prototype autonomous ground-based robotic platform designed to operate in rugged forest environments and areas degraded by wildfires. It allows users to select a work area, plan coverage routes, and disperse seeds in a controlled manner using an electronic hopper, equipped with sensors to navigate, detect obstacles, and adapt its path to the terrain.
The problem it solves
It addresses the challenge of reforesting burned areas quickly, safely, and at scale. After a fire, the terrain presents obstacles, steep slopes, and instability, making manual reforestation slow, costly, and risky. The solution aims to reduce those risks and accelerate forest regeneration.
"Anautonomous robot to reforest fire-damaged forests more safely, quickly, and efficiently."
What makes it innovative?
Technology Integration
Its main innovation is integrating off-road mobility, advanced environmental perception, autonomous route planning, and controlled seed dispersal into a single prototype. The system adjusts the route and coverage based on the selected area, the effective spreading radius, and terrain conditions.
Expected impact
To help restore ecosystems affected by fires, reducing erosion and biodiversity loss. By automating part of the reforestation process, we can reduce risks to workers, shorten response times, and optimize costs, laying the groundwork for future forest restoration solutions that are more sustainable and scalable.
