Animal Bots Roll Out!

In the Florida Everglades, scientists are testing whether robotic rabbits can help conservationists lure and capture invasive Burmese pythons. These massive snakes were first brought to the area as pets in the 1970s. Many were carelessly released or escaped into the wild. Now they’ve spread throughout the protected wetland and are gobbling up defenseless native mammals. This is wreaking havoc on the region’s ecosystem—a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment.

In the Florida Everglades, scientists are testing robotic rabbits. The robots might help conservationists lure and capture invasive Burmese pythons. People brought these massive snakes to the area as pets in the 1970s. Many were carelessly released. Others escaped into the wild. Now they’ve spread across the protected wetland. The snakes are eating defenseless native mammals. This is seriously harming the region’s ecosystem. That’s a community of organisms along with their physical environment.

Scientists at the University of Florida made 40 solar-powered robotic rabbits out of cuddly toys, replacing the stuffing with motors and electronic components. The bunny bots mimic the movements of marsh rabbits—a favorite meal of pythons. Like real rabbits, the robots also give off heat, which the snakes can detect. Researchers have placed the bunny bots in cages and are using cameras to monitor whether they attract pythons. The robots could be used to help trap and remove the snakes—and will hopefully be safer, easier, and less expensive than using live rabbits.

Scientists at the University of Florida made 40 solar-powered robotic rabbits from cuddly toys. They replaced the stuffing with motors and electronic parts. The bunny bots move like marsh rabbits. That’s a favorite meal of pythons. Like real rabbits, the robots give off heat. The snakes can detect it. Researchers placed the bunny bots in cages. They’re using cameras to see if the fake bunnies attract pythons. The robots could help conservation workers trap and remove the snakes. Hopefully, they’ll be safer, easier, and less expensive than using live rabbits.

Tibetan antelope, or chiru, roam Central Asia’s Tibetan Plateau. These animals were considered endangered in the 1990s because of overhunting for their soft fur. With careful protection, the species has started to recover. Scientists want to continue monitoring the population. But if human observers get too close, they tend to scare off the skittish creatures. So engineers in China created a robotic antelope to blend in and spy on herds without stressing out the animals.

The remote-controlled robot chiru has visual sensors and cameras to keep an eye on its real-life counterparts. It can also walk around on its four robotic legs. During a three-day trial last summer, the robot successfully joined a group of antelope, observed them grazing up close, and navigated complex terrain across a distance of 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).

The Tibetan antelope is also called the chiru. These animals roam Central Asia’s Tibetan Plateau. They were overhunted for their soft fur, so they were considered endangered in the 1990s. With careful protection, they’ve started to recover. Scientists want to keep watching the population. But if humans get too close, the nervous creatures run away. So engineers in China created a robotic antelope. It blends in and watches herds without scaring the animals.

The remote-controlled robot chiru has visual sensors and cameras. It keeps an eye on the real-life chirus. It also walks on four robotic legs. Last summer, the robot successfully joined a group of antelope. During a three-day test, it observed them grazing up close. It also traveled 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) over the rough ground.

Mosquitofish—native to rivers and lakes in the U.S.—were introduced to Australia in the 1920s to eat pesky mosquitoes. Since then, mosquitofish numbers have skyrocketed. Besides mosquitoes, the fish also eat other insects, fish eggs, young fish, and tadpoles. As a result, many of Australia’s native fish and frogs are now threatened with extinction. Giovanni Polverino, an ecologist at the University of Western Australia, helped develop a robot to tackle the problem. It resembles a largemouth bass—a predator that eats mosquitofish.

When the bass bot’s camera detects mosquitofish, the robot lunges at them. In lab tests, mosquitofish scared by the robot “tended to be less aggressive toward native tadpoles, lived a shorter life, and reproduced less,” says Polverino. This could help protect tadpoles and native fish. Polverino’s team is currently improving the robot’s ability to distinguish mosquitofish from other similarly sized animals and next plans to test it in small ponds.

Mosquitofish are native to rivers and lakes in the U.S. People brought them to Australia in the 1920s to eat pesky mosquitoes. Since then, mosquitofish numbers there have skyrocketed. But the fish don’t eat just mosquitoes. They also eat other insects, fish eggs, young fish, and tadpoles. As a result, many of Australia’s native fish and frogs are threatened with extinction. Giovanni Polverino is an ecologist at the University of Western Australia. He helped develop a robot to tackle the problem. It looks like a largemouth bass, a predator that eats mosquitofish.

The bass bot’s camera detects mosquitofish. Then the robot rushes at them. In lab tests, mosquitofish were scared by the robot. These fish “tended to be less aggressive toward native tadpoles, lived a shorter life, and reproduced less,” says Polverino. This could help protect tadpoles and native fish. Now Polverino’s team is improving the robot so it will better tell apart mosquitofish from other small water creatures. Next the team plans to test it in small ponds.

Bird flight always fascinated Mostafa Hassanalian, a mechanical engineer at New Mexico Tech. He thought a drone, or flying robot, might be able to get close enough to observe birds as they soared. But most drones make a whirring sound that can frighten birds. Hassanalian wondered: “If a drone could look and sound more natural, would it disturb wildlife less?”

Hassanalian realized nature had already developed a quiet flight system: birds themselves! So rather than invent a new type of flying robot, he and his team purchased dead birds preserved by professional taxidermists. The researchers outfitted these birds with batteries, motors, and cameras. Their first project was a robotic pheasant that flaps its wings to fly.

Realizing that bird bots could be useful in other environments, the team also developed a swimming duck and a perching pigeon equipped with cameras. Someday robots like these could observe nesting birds, track populations, and map migrations—with minimal disturbance to animals. “The coolest part is protecting wildlife while we learn,” says Hassanalian.

Bird flight always fascinated Mostafa Hassanalian. He’s a mechanical engineer at New Mexico Tech. He thought about ways to observe birds as they soared. A drone, or flying robot, might get close enough. But most drones make a whirring sound. That can frighten birds. Hassanalian wondered: “If a drone could look and sound more natural, would it disturb wildlife less?”

Hassanalian realized that nature already had a quiet flight system. It was birds themselves! So he didn’t invent a new type of flying robot. Instead, he and his team purchased birds that had died. The birds were preserved by professional taxidermists. The researchers put batteries, motors, and cameras on these birds. Their first project was a robotic pheasant. It flaps its wings to fly.

The team knew that bird bots could be useful in other environments. So they also developed a swimming duck and a perching pigeon. Both include cameras. Someday robots like these could observe nesting birds, track populations, and map migrations. And they wouldn’t disturb animals much. “The coolest part is protecting wildlife while we learn,” says Hassanalian.