

TreeRover: Tree-planting robot project - trrhodes
http://iotaenterprises.com/

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trrhodes
Typical replanting sites are very rough indeed! This initial prototype will
require a well groomed site. The goal of this first stage of development is to
demonstrate the concept of a tree planting robot. A successful crowd-funded
tree planting campaign, in which backers can have a tree planted for them and
later receive a video clip of their seedling being planted, will allow for the
development of a much more capable TreeRover! Thank you all for your interest
and support!

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Zanta
Typical tree planting terrain is one of the least robotics-friendly
environments imaginable. Logs, brush, loose sticks and rocks, swamp, sand,
hills, you name it.

Here's a photo of a planting site I took during one of my planting contracts a
few years back:
[http://i.imgur.com/tITCW03.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/tITCW03.jpg)

It is often possible for logging companies to prepare the land better
(clearing out slash, sometimes scarifying the land), but the expense here is
really substantial. Currently the most effective technological tree planting
solution is aerial seeding.

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foldor
Well I'm definitely interested in this thing. The website should probably have
more information about the robot though, and the problem it's intended to
solve. Like, is this robot intended to replace humans planting trees? Is the
intention to make it autonomous? If not, is there an efficiency increase as
opposed to using a human?

~~~
toomuchtodo
Google "tree planting campaigns".

Also, [http://iotaenterprises.com/the-vision/](http://iotaenterprises.com/the-
vision/)

> Like, is this robot intended to replace humans planting trees?

If it can do the job as well as a human? Probably. It doesn't need to be as
fast.

> Is the intention to make it autonomous?

I would assume so based on it being robotic.

> If not, is there an efficiency increase as opposed to using a human?

Humans are expensive, even if you're not paying them (food, sleep, etc).
Robotics aren't over the long term once you've amortized their construction.

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thotpoizn

      This project immediately reminded me of the 1972 movie "Silent Running," which featured a couple of robots that tended plants on a greenhouse in space.
      Kind of a sad movie, now that I think of it.  Hopefully this project achieves a happier ending...  ;-)

