Lifelike-looking robot antelope monitors free-living Tibetan antelope herd
A robot dog disguised as an antelope is part of a Tibetan antelope herd. It transmits real-time data about animals for research and conservation purposes.
The robot dog disguised as an antelope (center) is part of a Tibetan herd of antelopes and collects data.
(Image: Screenshot/Deep Robotics)
Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have teamed up with robotics company Deep Robotics to develop a life-like robotic antelope. This was reported by Global Times on Monday. The robot, which has been introduced into a herd of antelope as a conspecific, is designed to collect real-time data on a herd of Tibetan antelope in an inhospitable environment.
A herd of Tibetan antelopes lives in the Hoh Xil National Reserve in the northwestern Chinese province of Qingai. Regular observations are necessary to better assess the animals' behavior, their importance for the ecological balance, and to protect them. The living conditions in the remote area at an average altitude of 4600 m are harsh. It is correspondingly difficult for people to carry out observations and collect data.
To collect data on the animals nonetheless, the researchers, together with Deep Robotics, have equipped a four-legged robot dog with a “disguise” that gives it the appearance of a Tibetan antelope. However, the robot has shorter legs and cannot move as fast as a biological antelope. Nevertheless, the robot antelope has been successfully integrated into the herd. It can also keep up with the animals in the rough terrain.
Collecting and evaluating real-time data
The robot is connected to a base via a 5G network to transmit recorded videos and data. Real-time data can be transmitted up to a distance of 2 km in open terrain. This includes migration patterns, feeding behavior, and the growth of young animals. Some data is collected by an image processing system based on artificial intelligence (AI). The data is analyzed at the base station, and detailed reports are generated and made available to natural scientists at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology at CAS.
Videos by heise
However, the determined migration movements of the antelope herd are not only used for research purposes. As the data is transmitted in real time, it can be used to control traffic lights on a road that crosses the reserve. Together with other mobile monitoring devices, this is part of an intelligent management platform designed to prevent unwanted encounters between wild animals and humans. If the antelopes appear near the road, staff at a conservation station are informed, who then manage the traffic lights and direct traffic accordingly.
(olb)
