Hasta La Ideas

With climate change moving at warp speed, we have to come up with solutions to repair the after-effects just as much as the solutions to slow it down in the first place. Floods and forest fires have been more rampant this year than ever before, restoring these natural habitats is crucial to help the surviving animals as well as to bring balance back to the ecosystem. Industrial design student Segev Kaspi designed a conceptual crew of robotic forest druids that will each play a role in rehabilitating forests through seed planting, data analysis, and more.

The futuristic and almost intimidating-looking robots are a team of three designed to support reforestation efforts and sustainable forest management. Called Rikko, Dixon, and Chunk, they will each have a specific role to play to make the process efficient.

The robotic foresters operate in systems that change in accordance with the needs of the forest. They can work individually or in groups too depending on the situation. Each robot is assigned a role in managing and preserving the forest which reflects in their design language as well. Kapsi went through a long process of studying the work of rangers in an attempt to gain an in-depth understanding of this crucial job.

The first robot is Chunk which is responsible for sawing, pruning, and mowing. The second is Dixon which takes care of planting and reforestation of seedlings and cuttings. The third is Rikko which gathers, monitors, and analyzes data from the forest. The dream team of robots was bought to life through drawings, computer renderings, and physical models.

Kapsi blends two opposing worlds – nature and technology – to stimulate conversation on rising atmospheric CO2 and the importance of rehabilitating our forests, all the while proposing a possible solution to the problem. Robots are usually not associated with conservation efforts but these forest druids are here to change the game!

Designer: Segev Kaspi