The aircraft has been tested on seven tree species and samples collected revealed DNA from 21 distinct groups of organisms.
The eDrone is teleoperated above a targeted branch; it autonomously lands on the branch and establishes a stable contact to collect the eDNA.The mechanism sounds simple, but the reality is far from it. The drone is equipped with adhesive strips - when it lands on a branch, material from the tree sticks to these strips. Researchers can then extract the eDNA in a lab and catalog it using database comparisons.
"Landing on branches requires complex control," Stefano Mintchev, Professor of Environmental Robotics at ETH Zurich and WSL, said in a statement. Branches vary in terms of their thickness and elasticity and can bend and rebound when a drone lands on them.to approach a branch by itself and remain stable on it to take samples. This was a significant challenge for the scientists.
Collecting samples in a natural rainforest comes with a host of problems. Incessant rain washes eDNA off surfaces, and wind and clouds could be an obstacle in drone operation. "We are therefore very curious to see whether our sampling method will also prove itself under extreme conditions in the tropics," added Mintchev.
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