00:00 This tiny robot could be our only chance to save the ecosystem.
00:03 It seems crazy, but this little innovation can overwhelm the whole planet,
00:06 save thousands of species in the process of extinction, and re-establish our natural resources.
00:10 So how does this robot work?
00:11 Inspired by nature, this one is able to plant seeds all over the planet.
00:14 Developed by the Morphing Mater Lab, it behaves exactly like a hygromorph,
00:18 a natural structure that changes shape in response to the environment and its conditions, such as humidity.
00:22 The team of researchers at the origin of this innovation designed this simple but ingenious design,
00:26 with three anchor points that prevent the structure from tilting.
00:28 It is always oriented downwards, at a specific angle to penetrate the ground and plant.
00:32 The more spirals there are, the more flexible the structure is, and in the contact of humidity,
00:35 the wood expands and rolls, pushing the seed deeper into the ground by drying.
00:39 It is therefore enough to place the robot on the ground with a seed attached
00:41 so that it buries itself and plants the seed deeply, thus protecting it from fires, wells or predators.
00:46 Made up of chains treated to be flexible and resistant, it is also biodegradable.
00:50 One of their most important tests was to drop seeds from drones,
00:53 and they achieved a success rate of 90%.
00:55 What is even more practical is that robots can be implanted with symbiotic species,
00:59 such as mushrooms and nematodes, which help increase the survival rate of a plant in a natural environment.
01:03 And for more videos on innovations and ecology, subscribe to Omniscience.
Comments