2024-04-03 22:02:04
This content was published on April 4, 2024 – 01:02
(Keystone-ATS) Swiss and Italian scientists present in the journal Nature Communications a drone capable of slipping through foliage, as certain animals do. An essential step for assessing biodiversity in remote areas.
A team of scientists from the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), ETH Zurich and the University of Pisa (I) sought to improve drones so that they can make their way through the foliage. The idea is to be able to collect valuable data for monitoring biodiversity within and beyond dense vegetation.
Environmental DNA, i.e. the genetic material contained in environmental samples, is of great value for monitoring biodiversity, as it allows all species present to be identified. However, collecting samples in a forest is more complicated than in an open environment.
During previous studies, the team led by Emanuele Aucone had already collected environmental DNA using drones on exposed branches, but they had not been able to penetrate deeper into the canopy. The flexibility of the vegetation prevented the drone from moving forward, the WSL said in a press release on Wednesday.
Inspired by cockroaches
The research team then took inspiration from animals: when they move through vegetation, they react flexibly. The scientists therefore equipped the drone with intelligence distributed across the entire fuselage and haptic feedback control to react to contact with the environment. They designed a fuselage with an aerodynamic shape and low-friction material, inspired by the bodies of cockroaches.
Experiments have confirmed that these features help the drone overcome obstacles. With a non-streamlined body or high friction material, the drone got stuck. Otherwise, it might move aside and slide on branches with or without foliage.
The experiments were carried out with simple obstacles. The next step for scientists will be to develop a fuselage equipped with sensors capable of reacting to a large number of objects.
“The further we advance in the forest, the more obstacles our drone encounters simultaneously. To access the interior of the canopy, the drone must be able to react over its entire surface,” concludes Emanuele Aucone, quoted in the press release.
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