The Tree Seeding Robot as an Innovative Solution
Climate change can have devastating effects on forests, which makes efforts for renaturation and reforestation especially necessary. Reforestation methods used conventionally often do not provide practical solutions. Particularly, terrain which is difficult to access is challenging. The Tree Seeding Robot represents a suitable solution in these circumstances. It is able to move in inaccessible terrain and landscapes in an efficient way. It is a solution developed by CES in collaboration with the company Land Life, which provides environmental protection services as well as renaturation and reforestation solutions.
Benefits of the Tree Seeding Robot
The Tree Seeding Robot can be used in inaccessible terrain on a large scale. Versatile solutions are necessary for reforestation projects in different regions like Africa, South America, Australia or Europe. The Tree Seeding Robot can sow the native seeds which can vary in shapes and sizes. Its design focuses on robustness and reliability even in difficult environments like varying strong weather conditions, including dust and extreme fluctuations in temperature.
Moreover, the robot can handle variations in soil conditions. It can be used in various areas with diverse features of landscape like rocky and sandy districts, covers of debris and branches, and sharp increases and steep slopes.
The drilling and sowing module of the robot, which is developed by CES, is electrically powered and guarantees highly precise sowing. The vehicle is remote controlled and is able to sow up to 60 seed balls of marble-size per hour.
Procedures of the Tree Seeding Robot
The automatic sowing procedure is clustered in different steps which is completed in less than a minute:
- The ground to be used for seeding trees is cleaned from weeds and other plants which cover the soil.
- The robot drills a hole in the soil which provides the optimum width and depth for the specific tree species.
- With the use of compressed air, a seed ball is placed in the drilled hole.
- The initially drilled out soil is poured on top of the seed again.
“Continental Engineering Services is pleased to partner with Land Life to jointly develop a sustainable solution for the preservation and protection of vital ecosystems. We have adapted our proven, robust automotive technology so the seeding robots can operate automated and safely even in rough terrain – a perfect partnership benefitting the environment.”
