Autonomous Sampling with Robotics in the Wild for Nature Conservation

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The need for effective, cost-efficient conservation practices is greater than ever as we are now facing catastrophic loss of Earth’s biodiversity. Current conservation practices, from sample collection to inspection and monitoring, are typically very labour intensive, costly and time-consuming. Collected data are often inaccurate, incomplete or subject to human bias. However, recent advances in robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have shown a great potential for offering practical tools for conservationists. Therefore, the aim of WildBotics is to boost ecosystem conservation practices through innovation in robotics, sensors and AI solutions. Autonomous terrestrial, aquatic, and aerial robots will be used as a unifying platform to elevate the ongoing digital revolution of nature conservation practices and integrate leading-edge conservation ecology and computer science. WildBotics will develop new autonomous long-endurance systems, improve current sensor and software capabilities and combine these advances to create practical solutions for large-scale automated monitoring or collection of samples, thus supporting cutting-edge conservation research. WildBotics will expand current computer vision capabilities in ecology, create practical solutions for monitoring wildlife populations and ecosystems, and offer effective and automated means of gathering and interpreting samples. These challenges will be solved by 12 PhD candidates hosted in 12 recognized and interdisciplinary organizations. A multifaceted research training programme has been designed to educate a new generation of PhDs and provide them with a unique skill set enabling them to tackle the great challenges we face to mitigate the decline of global biodiversity. WildBotics will raise the level of excellence in doctoral programs and simultaneously enhance the career perspectives of the PhDs in both academia and industry.