Robotic gardener is assisting in the reforestation of the Amazon

The Amazon rainforest is in dire need of assistance.

A dual-armed robotic gardener is assisting in the reforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

Revered as the “lungs of the planet,” the Amazon rainforest faces a perilous situation, with approximately one-third of its expanse already lost or degraded.

Non-profit organization Junglekeepers has undertaken a mission to safeguard 55,000 acres of the Peruvian Amazon, with the valuable aid of a collaborative robot named YuMi. YuMi, also known as a cobot, was developed by the Swedish company ABB Robotics to enhance and expedite the efforts of groups involved in reforesting the area.

Moshin Kazmi, co-founder of Junglekeepers, stated, “At present, we have witnessed the loss of 20 percent of the Amazon rainforest’s total area; without employing technology, conservation efforts would come to a halt. Having YuMi at our disposal enables us to introduce new approaches to our rangers. It accelerates and expands our operations, advancing our mission.”

The process begins with YuMi digging a hole in a soil container, inserting a seed, and covering and patting it down. A colour-coded tag is then affixed to the seeded container, and the cobot moves on to the next one. YuMi requires 12 seconds per container, or 3.5 minutes per crate, to plant a seed, with 640 crates planted in each session.

Remarkably, the bot can plant an entire container’s worth of seeds in just three-and-a-half minutes, which are subsequently transported to a nursery by humans.

—Reuters