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DJI Drones Empower Groundbreaking eDNA Sampling in Collaboration with Wilderness Worldwide and ETH Zurich
August 30, 2024 – DJI, the worldwide chief in civilian drones and aerial imaging expertise, proudly proclaims its participation in an revolutionary pilot undertaking geared toward remodeling biodiversity monitoring. In collaboration with the Environmental Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich and the environmental NGO Wilderness Worldwide, DJI’s superior drone expertise is on the forefront of a pioneering methodology to gather environmental DNA (eDNA) from beforehand inaccessible areas, considerably enhancing the accuracy and effectivity of biodiversity analysis.
A New Frontier in Biodiversity Monitoring
Typical strategies of biodiversity monitoring usually entail vital time and expense. Nevertheless, the eDNA undertaking, launched in March 2024, gives a revolutionary different. Utilizing DJI’s Matrice drones outfitted with a specifically developed robotic arm from ETH Zurich, researchers can now accumulate eDNA samples from treetops—areas wealthy in biodiversity but difficult to entry. This methodology just isn’t solely sooner and minimally invasive but additionally gives a cheap answer to long-standing analysis gaps in unexplored areas.
Chopping-Edge Know-how for Conservation
The collaboration marks a big development within the software of drone expertise in scientific analysis. The DJI Matrice drone, personalized for this undertaking, permits the extraction of eDNA, permitting scientists to determine species current in particular areas by analyzing traces of DNA left behind by organisms. This method is especially beneficial in learning the biodiversity of higher rainforest layers, the place an estimated 60-90% of species reside however have been traditionally under-sampled because of accessibility challenges.
For the reason that undertaking’s inception, 36 samples have been collected from three areas within the Peruvian rainforest, areas protected by Wilderness Worldwide. The eDNA evaluation gives essential insights into the biodiversity of those areas, supporting the NGO’s efforts to protect these vital habitats.
Partnership and Future Purposes
This groundbreaking undertaking is supported by a community of dedicated companions: ETH Zurich has developed the revolutionary sampling expertise, the Audi Environmental Basis is funding undertaking prices, and DJI is offering the required drone expertise. Moreover, the native analysis group Fauna Ceaselessly gives comparative information from standard biodiversity strategies, guaranteeing a complete evaluation of the brand new method’s efficacy.
“Biodiversity monitoring through drone-based eDNA sampling and evaluation is groundbreaking for Wilderness Worldwide’s conservation work,” emphasizes Kai Andersch, CEO of Wilderness Worldwide. “This technique not solely enhances our capability to watch already protected areas but additionally guarantees to revolutionize the identification of recent conservation areas, enabling us to guard main forests extra effectively.”
Wanting forward, Wilderness Worldwide plans to broaden the usage of this expertise to their conservation areas in Canada, the place current biodiversity information is proscribed. The worldwide software of this methodology holds the potential to handle vital information gaps in biodiversity analysis worldwide.
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