I have a plan to return the Forest to a natural state, by reducing excess fuels built up by years of full attenuation of fires. Recently televized fires in California gives us a sense for the human suffering there. I was motivated by those news reels. I thought about healing. What if we can reduce the overburden in the forests, returning it to historic levels. This would serve to heal our relationship with wild lands. We now have a much better understanding of forests and wild lands. So it is time, armed with our better understanding, to do something to reverse the damage we have done — to heal our relationship with wild lands. How do you remove excess fuels without harming the Forest? A human, carefully operating tools can do this. However, the acerage involved calls for millions of humans working for years. The problem seems unworkable. So this is where robotics is the logical solution. I am confident, that robots can be designed and programmed to recognize and remove excess fuels. Robots and drones, working continually can selectively and carefully remove extra fuels — So that once fuel levels are restored, the fires are more regenerating and not as damaging to the Forest. Large numbers of robots, working continually — this is a powerful tool! Unworkable problems become workable. In example, the removal of plastic from the ocean with swimming robots! Applying robots now to tackle difficult tasks is just a logical progression of present technology. So it’s time to apply this technology to the task of becoming better earth keepers — and working to serve and preserve the Earth. Of course the fun factor is here. Its robotics! I want to ask colleges everywhere, including the college here in Boise, to take part in the development of robotic earth-keeping machines to restore forests and protect the WUI.
Writer for Light Craft Ltd.