Continental and Land Life are collaborating to create an autonomous tree seeding robot, designed to tackle global deforestation by efficiently planting trees in difficult terrain.
Continental, known for its automotive technology, is venturing into the environmental sector through a partnership with Land Life, a Netherlands-based reforestation company. Together, they have developed a tree seeding robot that autonomously plants tree seeds, addressing the global challenge of deforestation.
The robot, designed by Continental Engineering Services (CES), is equipped with an automatic drilling and seeding module. The unit can sow seeds at a rate of one per minute, planting up to 60 pits per hour, which makes it a highly efficient solution for reforestation in areas impacted by environmental degradation.
Already commercially available
The base vehicle for the robot, developed by Stella Engineering, is already commercially available and has been adapted to function autonomously in challenging terrains, including steep slopes and rocky surfaces. The machine’s ability to navigate difficult landscapes makes it ideal for use in diverse reforestation projects worldwide.
Martin Poettcher, Head of GreenTech at CES, emphasized the importance of the collaboration: “We have adapted the robot with proven automotive technology to ensure it can operate safely and autonomously, even in rough terrain. Our partnership with Land Life will benefit the environment by offering an innovative, sustainable solution for ecosystem restoration.”
Less than a minute per seed
The seeding robot operates using a fully automatic direct sowing process. The system first clears the ground of weeds, then drills a hole suitable for the specific soil and tree type. A seed ball is placed in the hole using compressed air, and the soil is replaced to cover the seed. This efficient process takes less than a minute per seed, offering an innovative and scalable solution for reforestation.
The project is a response to the growing need for sustainable technologies to address climate change and environmental degradation. CES has been increasingly involved in “green” projects, using its automotive expertise to develop technologies like the tree seeding robot and other ecological solutions such as an AI-based weed control system.
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