One keeps wondering what went through designer Anna-Karin Bergkvist mind when she planned the tree planting robot. Was she alarmed by people’s lack of interest in tree planting or was it just an attempt to make already existing planting machinery efficient and flexible. Whatever may be her real objective the end result, a tree planting robot seems fundamentally useful.
The four legged eco-friendly robot, is equipped with planting arm and head. It plants the seedling with a protective barrier made of bio-degradable plastic which also protects the seedling from bugs. Its steam based engine fuelled by forest waste allows cooling with water instead of oil.
The robot is equipped with a seedling ramp on the back which can carry up to 320 seedlings in a single load. These are loaded onto a revolving cartridge on the planting head. The robotic arm then helps planting the seedlings in a pattern.
Its small size facilitates efficient and flexible maneuvering through tough terrains besides reducing the amount of pressure applied on the forest floor. Not just that, contrary to the large machines the planting robot also prepares the planting spot in an environmentally friendly way by using hot steam to kill the weeds.
Via: Tuvie