A Monumental Moment for Robotto: Joining the WildDrone Advisory Board

At Robotto, our journey has been marked by passion, innovation, and the persistent drive to make a positive impact on our environment. Today, we stand at a pivotal juncture, having been invited to join the advisory board of the esteemed WildDrone project—a testament to our commitment and the trust the conservation community has in us.

The WildDrone project is a groundbreaking initiative, bringing together the world's leading conservationists, technologists, and field researchers. It seeks to harness the untapped potential of aerial robotics in understanding, monitoring, and conserving our planet's diverse ecosystems. WildDrone's mission, which perfectly aligns with ours, is to revolutionize traditional conservation techniques and methodologies.

Being in the esteemed company of leaders like WIPSEA, Wageningen University, University of Bristol, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, and Avy B.V., to name a few, is not merely a recognition—it's an affirmation. An affirmation of our vision, our commitment, and the ripple effect startups like ours can create in the vast ocean of global conservation.

A Beacon of Our Commitment

From our very first day, Robotto's heartbeat has been its vision: leveraging cutting-edge technology to nurture and preserve our planet. This invitation to the advisory board is both an extension and an amplification of this vision. It allows us to engage with an ecosystem of experts who, like us, dream of a seamless blend of tech innovation and conservation.

Introducing: The WildDrone Project

In the heart of our endeavors lies the WildDrone project—a beacon of our dedication to innovation in conservation. WildDrone stands at the intersection of technology and nature, aiming to harness the power of aerial robotics to closely monitor, protect, and understand the myriad of life forms that grace our planet. The project's core is built upon the principles of precision, agility, and real-time response, offering unparalleled insights into the delicate balance of our ecosystems.

As part of this initiative, we've collaborated with leading conservationists, tech mavens, and field researchers, creating a synergy that's truly transformative. The potential of WildDrone transcends traditional conservation techniques. It's not just about observing—it's about proactively engaging with the environment, predicting potential threats, and devising strategies to ensure the vibrant continuity of life. The journey of WildDrone is just beginning, but its promise to revolutionize our understanding of nature is boundless.

The Road Ahead: Responsibility & Renewal

With this new honor comes renewed responsibility. We recognize the weight of this role, and we are brimming with excitement and determination to contribute meaningfully. As a startup, we bring a fresh perspective, unfettered creativity, and an undying spirit to challenge conventions—all crucial elements to bring innovation to the conservation conversation.

"The journey of Robotto has always been about more than just us—it's been about a collective dream, shared by every member of our team and the broader community we engage with. Being invited to this distinguished board is a testament to every ounce of passion, every late-night brainstorming session, and every hurdle we've overcome," CEO and Co-Founder Keneth Richard Geipel states.

In this new chapter, we pledge to carry forward this legacy of innovation, passion, and commitment. Let us all move ahead with the belief that, together, we can redraw the boundaries of what's possible in conservation.

Herd Tracking: Chronicles of a Jungle Odyssey

Chapter 1: The Inception of the Expedition

With the ink still fresh on our contract with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and our project's mission established, it was time to embark on our grand expedition to the enchanting land of Thailand. Our co-founders, the indomitable Kenneth Richard Geipel and Lucas de Paula, braved a 14-hour journey from the quaint city of Aalborg in Denmark, to the lush expanses of Thailand’s Kui Buri and Kaeng Krung National Parks - a sanctuary renowned for housing Thailand's majestic elephants. They would rendezvous with the esteemed Tanasin Yimnoi, the mastermind behind the WWF's pioneering Eyes on the Forest Project.

Venturing deeper into the heart of the rainforest, our brave explorers found their base camp amidst the undulating green waves of the jungle. Over the ensuing days, they became the students of the jungle, observing and absorbing the complex tasks of the park rangers. Their curiosity was piqued by the sight of drones humming overhead, and a barrage of questions followed. How do they operate these machines to spot both elephants and poachers?

What action is taken once a detection is made? What dangers do the rangers face in the execution of their duty?

Intricately examining these routines led them to a revelation - a Herd Tracking solution using a nimble quadcopter could greatly improve the park's conservation efforts, providing instantaneous advantages and enhancing the rangers' safety.

Chapter 2: A Journey up the 'Hill'

Their adventure took an unexpected turn when a drone pilot spotted an elephant at the 'peak of a hill'.

Accustomed to the flat terrain of Denmark, our team anticipated a short 20-meter climb. Little did they know they were in for what felt like a three-hour[LP2] uphill battle against nature. As they trudged along, panting and perspiring, they saw their Thai companions effortlessly carry the drone while leisurely puffing on cigarettes.

This trip, while difficult for the Danish team, showed the hard work Thailand’s park rangers put in when on the job. Their dedication to keeping elephants and the local community is commendable. Upon arriving home, this story kept the team motivated to deliver a solution that makes their jobs easier.

Chapter 3: Brush with the Elephants

Reflecting on their journey, Kenneth, our CEO, shared his awe-inspiring encounter with elephants in the cloak of darkness. Armed with only a flashlight, the team followed the rangers, looking for the elephants they had spotted earlier through their drone. The real shocker came when they finally found the colossal creature standing a mere 10-15 meters from them.

As the sun went down, they soaked in the ambiance of Thailand, immersing themselves in the local culture, sharing stories with park rangers, and savoring authentic Thai cuisine.

Chapter 4: Perfecting the Solution

Upon their return, the team had a newfound clarity - the introduction of autonomous flight and AI detection would be a game-changer for the park rangers. This sparked an innovation spree within our development team. They meticulously drafted a blueprint of the new software, while our resident AI genius set to work on compiling data to train an AI model that could aid the rangers in detecting elephants.

Yet, the quest for suitable data wasn't easy. Aerial videos of elephants were aplenty, but ones that showed the view directly beneath the drone were a rarity. Undeterred, we devised a clever solution. A Robotto Hawk unit was dispatched to our partners in Thailand, empowering them to capture the crucial aerial footage. Concurrently, the Robotto team paid a visit to the Elephant team at Aalborg Zoo. With their kind permission, we studied the behavior of the elephants and accumulated data to refine our model further.

Chapter 5: The Reunion with the Jungle

Three months after their initial homecoming, it was time for our team to head back to the verdant landscapes of Thailand - this time, with an additional companion, our very own CTO and Co-Founder, Iuliu Novac. Braving the 14-hour journey, our stalwarts reunited with Tanasin Yimnoi of WWF Thailand, their anticipation palpable. They carried with them a treasure - the 'Robotto Brain', a revolutionary piece of technology armed with software that facilitates autonomous flight, real-time AI detection, and Robotto's state-of-the-art Anti-Poaching system.

Once the team landed in Thailand, it was time for the Eye in the Sky team to get acquainted with their new tool. They were introduced to the Robotto Brain and walked through the process of installing this unique intelligence onto the Robotto Hawk UAV. Our team emphasized how this tool would revolutionize their flight techniques, setting them apart from traditional UAV methods.

After a full night’s rest under the stars, the Robotto Team met up with their Thai counterparts to begin training the team on how to install and use the Robotto solutions. Throughout the week, our Robotto emissaries remained by the side of the Thai drone pilots, a constant source of support and guidance. Yet, their most crucial responsibility was to establish a conduit for continuous data flow from Thailand to Robotto HQ. This essential link would empower our team to constantly refine the AI model, enhancing its detection accuracy over time.

Reflecting on the trip, Iuliu Novac, our CTO, highlighted the electrifying moment when the drone detected suspicious activities in the vicinity. When the Robotto team arrived on location the second day, they noticed the WWF drone pilots and believed them to be searching for elephants. However, after seeking more information they learned a local ranger had spotted light from a flashlight and the sounds of dogs barking, leading them to believe poachers were active in the area. Around them, armed rangers were viewing the video feed and the atmosphere became tense, as the rangers informed the Robotto team that poachers often have better weapons than they have available..

This vivid memory reinforced the impact and necessity of their work, instilling in them a renewed sense of determination for their mission. The following day the Robotto team demoed our new anti-poaching solution that uses AI to detect movement in the area. The team spoke about the potential the solution could have to improve the safety of their rangers.

Closing out the trip, the Robotto team gathered over a shared meal of Thai barbeque, known as Mookata.

This was our journey, a testament to our commitment to making a difference, one elephant at a time. To learn more about the solution visit www.robotto.ai/herd-tracking

Drones for Good: Danish Prize-Winning Drone to Save Lives of Farmers and Endangered Elephants

With the alarming increase in clashes between local farmers and endangered elephants in Thailand's national parks, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Robotto have launched an extraordinary initiative to tackle this pressing issue head-on. The heart of this innovative project is an intelligent drone equipped with artificial intelligence, hovering 80 meters above high-risk areas where human-elephant conflicts are statistically prevalent. Through its tireless surveillance and analytical capabilities, this Danish drone endeavors to detect and prevent clashes, offering a glimmer of hope for both farmers and elephants in the region.

With 5,000 images stored in its memory a Danish drone hovers 80 meters above one of the places where, statistically speaking, there is great risk of deadly clashes between local farmers and elephants. The drone patrols around the clock in the Kui Buri and Kaeng Krung national parks in Thailand, where wild elephants are increasingly destroying farmers' crops in search of food.

As natural habitats grow smaller, animals have begun to explore the areas outside of their designated sanctuary. In Thailand, fields grow treats that entice elephants to leave their protected area, but this leads to another issue, a deadly issue.

A new drone project initiated by WWF and the Aalborg-based technology company Robotto will now help curb this problem. The drone – which is equipped with artificial intelligence – keeps an eye on the elephants and can even calculate where they are moving to. This provides better opportunities to detect and prevent conflicts before they go wrong.

“It is tragic when direct confrontations occur between people trying to protect their crops and animals forced to hunt for food outside the wild. Unfortunately, it is not possible to employ so many park officers that we can monitor such large areas around the clock, but with drones, we can detect problems early enough that the park officers can avert a conflict," says Bo Øksnebjerg, secretary general of the WWF World Wide Fund for Nature.

WWF wants to curb clashes

The drone project comes after many years of conflict between humans and elephants in the area. The unrest means that 34 percent of households and as many as 70 percent of Thai plantation owners in the area believe that the endangered elephants should be completely eradicated. This is according to a study from 2018 by the international environmental network IUCN. According to WWF Thailand, one person has been killed and three injured, while an elephant has been killed during conflicts.

An adult elephant can eat up to 200 kilos of food a day, and they find it increasingly difficult to find enough food in the wild. At the same time, the elephants love the sweet pineapples that are grown in the area, and it is precisely in these fields around the national parks that people and elephants risk losing their lives.

"Our Thai colleagues have tested various solutions to curb the clashes between humans and elephants. Among other things, they have set up beehives because elephants are afraid of bees. But the lack of space is so great in Thailand that even this solution – which otherwise works well in Africa, among others – cannot completely solve the problem. Therefore, drones will make an extra big difference. In fact, I am absolutely certain that they will save lives," says Bo Øksnebjerg and continues:

"WWF World Wildlife Fund already uses drones to monitor animal populations around the world, but it is ground-breaking that we are now using artificial intelligence to avoid collisions between humans and animals."

Have trained the drone with images from Aalborg Zoo

The Aalborg technology company Robotto has programmed and trained the drone to recognize elephants and their movement patterns. Among other things, the company has done this with pictures of the elephants in Aalborg Zoo.

"We have spent approximately two months programming and training the drone to recognize elephants and their movement patterns. We have done this with photos and videos from the WWF World Wildlife Fund's people in Thailand and Aalborg Zoo. Now the drone has approximately 5,000 images on the retina, so it can easily recognize and send images and information about the elephants' movements to the local park rangers. It makes it possible to track the elephants from a safe distance and intervene if a conflict is brewing – even at night,” says Kenneth Geipel, co-founder and CEO of Robotto.

Can be used to monitor animals in many places in the world

According to the WWF, drones are the future of modern nature conservation. They are already used to monitor and count animal populations, and they can be used to track down poachers or people who engage in illegal logging.

"It is expensive and difficult to monitor large animal populations manually. With Robotto's new technology, we can use artificial intelligence to get even more precise data about the animals, just as we can monitor even larger areas. As we get more data, we will become even better at finding and protecting the world's endangered animals and nature," says Bo Øksnebjerg from the WWF World Wide Fund for Nature.

"It's our goal to use technology and artificial intelligence to do something good for nature and animals and thus res everyone's future. And that’s what we’ve done, we will in principle be able to do everywhere else in the world," says Kenneth Geipel from Robotto.

About the WWF World Wildlife Fund

WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is one of the world's largest and most influential environmental organizations with more than five million supporters globally. WWF has offices in more than 80 countries and more than 1,200 projects worldwide. WWF's mission is to stop the deterioration of the earth's natural environment and create a future where people live in harmony with nature. The Danish branch, WWF World Wildlife Fund, was founded in 1972 by His Royal Highness Prince Henrik. Read more at wwf.dk.

About Robotto

Robotto is an award-winning Danish drone software company founded in 2019 that develops drone technology using artificial intelligence and computer vision. The technology supports organizations for, among other things, identification and analysis of forest fires, faster identification of missing individuals, and improvement of resource management across industries – and now biodiversity census.