ABB Robotics is supporting Junglekeepers in its efforts to protect around 22,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest and reverse deforestation. In a unique demonstration, ABB's collaborative robot (cobot) YuMi is automating planting work at a research and test site in the middle of the jungle. It significantly speeds up the process, allowing Junglekeepers volunteers to devote their valuable time and resources to more important work.

Using ABB's RobotStudio cloud technology, ABB experts simulate, optimize and implement the programming for YuMi's activities in the rainforest from 12,000 kilometers away in Västerås, Sweden, enabling the most remote robot deployment in the world.

"The collaboration between ABB and Junglekeepers shows that robotics and cloud technologies can play a central role in combating deforestation. The latter is one of the main drivers of climate change," says Sami Atiya, Head of ABB's Robotics & Factory Automation business. "Our pilot project with the most remote robot deployment in the world enables the automation of highly repetitive tasks. This gives rangers more time to do more effective work in the rainforest and better protect the land they live on."

In a research and testing laboratory in a remote region of the Peruvian Amazon, a YuMi cobot has been installed to automate key tasks in the planting of seeds - previously a purely manual activity. The cobot digs a hole in the ground, places the seed, compacts the soil above it and marks the spot with a colored label. With the use of YuMi, Junglekeepers can replant an area the size of two soccer pitches every day. Thanks to automation, Junglekeepers' volunteers can use their valuable time and resources for more effective work. This includes patrols to deter illegal loggers, educating the local population about rainforest conservation and planting young trees.

The completely remote and autonomous cobot installation solves another problem: finding people who want to work in this remote location in the jungle for an extended period of time. After the initial installation, YuMi can carry out its tasks autonomously and only needs to undergo troubleshooting when necessary.

"We have lost 20 percent of the entire Amazon rainforest so far, and without the use of technology, we can't make any more progress in conservation," explains Moshin Kazmi, co-founder of Junglekeepers. "Having YuMi on the ground is an excellent way to familiarize our rangers with new ways of working. It accelerates and expands our activities and advances our mission."

The destruction of the Amazon rainforest through human activities such as deforestation and slash-and-burn agriculture is contributing significantly to the devastating effects of climate change. Since 1985, it is estimated that more than 870,000 km² of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared - an area larger than France, the United Kingdom and Belgium combined. With several billion trees already gone, the region is warming rapidly.

"The Amazon is in danger. To save it, we need to combine technology, science and local knowledge, otherwise it will be too late. The rainforest can be saved, but we need to bring all these elements together to make a real difference," emphasizes Dennis del Castillo Torres, Director of Forest Management Research at the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute. "It is very important to combine cutting-edge technology and conservation. There are many technologies that we can use to preserve the forest. This robot can accelerate reforestation, but it must be used in a very targeted way. We should use it in heavily deforested areas to speed up replanting."

The pilot project is supported by ABB's RobotStudio Cloud technology, which enables teams around the world to collaborate in real time. This innovative way of remote programming enables a new level of flexibility and instant optimization, increasing efficiency and resilience and eliminating wasted planting time. Backed by more than 25 years of offline programming experience, RobotStudio offers industry-leading digital technology and ensures a 99% match between simulation and reality. This enables users to reduce the time required to test robotic solutions by 50 percent and completely avoid production interruptions.

ABB Robotics' pilot project in the Amazon supports the division's goal of contributing to a sustainable transformation with intelligent robotics and automation solutions, helping companies to increase productivity, reduce waste and maximize efficiency. In 2022, ABB Robotics collaborated with the non-profit organization and global network Parley for the Oceans, which campaigns against plastic pollution and the destruction of the world's oceans. ABB robots produced personalized design objects from recycled Parley Ocean Plastic using additive 3D printing.

At Junglekeepers' request, the pilot project with RobotStudio Cloud and YuMi in the rainforest will run for around six weeks (in May and June 2023). At the end of the pilot program, ABB will explore ways to further support Junglekeepers. The company also wants to examine how its robot solutions and cloud technologies can also significantly promote sustainable transformation.