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article / 16 September 2022

Collecting Critically Endangered Plants on Cliffs using a Drone

This technology was recently tested in Kauai, Hawaii, with the National Tropical Botanical Garden and has successfully collected from 5 critically endangered species that were otherwise inaccessible.

Guillaume Charron

Guillaume Charron

Cofounder of Outreach Robotics, I have a master in mechanical engineering and I thrive on developing new technology for field scientists using remote controlled robots.

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The Mamba is a remotely controlled arm that can collect rare and endangered plants while suspended by a drone. This innovation resulted from a collaboration between Outreach Robotics, The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) in Hawaii, and researchers at the University of Sherbrooke. Once retrieved by the Mamba, the plants are recorded and brought to NTBG facilities where seeds are stored in a seed bank for conservation and research. Other seeds and cuttings are propagated in the nursery where they are grown and later used for restoration projects and returned to the wild. Read the paper published in the journal Nature - Scientific Reports here: 

Check the tool in action here: 

We are seeking for partners with projects that has a high impact plant biodiversity conservation to use this new technology!

To learn more, contact me or visit https://www.outreachrobotics.com/

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