Two students from the University of Victoria have created a robot that they believe could help tree planters restore the Earth's forest.
The tree-planting device, called the TreeRover, was developed by electrical engineering students Tyler Rhodes and Nick Birch.
The pair was tasked with building the prototype for a co-op project this summer.
Using a mechanical foot, the robot is capable of planting ten seedlings at a time. The device is also battery-powered and navigates using a computer algorithm.
The students told CTV Victoria that tree planting is a grueling job, and a robot that could do some of the dirty work could be very helpful.
"Tree planting is one of the hardest jobs out there, so it's a difficult thing to automate and mechanize. But there is also a ton of advantages if you can figure it out," said Rhodes.
Birch added that the TreeRover could work around the clock and fill some of the gaps of its human counterparts.
"The machine doesn't need to take breaks, it doesn't need lunches (and) it can work through the night with the right the sensors ... So yeah, I think it can handle it quite well," said Birch. "It doesn’t get injured, doesn't have to take time off and that's where we can see the possible contribution it can make."
However, the Western Silvicultural Contractors Association, which represents tree-planting businesses in Western Canada, says the TreeRover would struggle to keep up in B.C.'s rugged backcountry.
"Inside a human head, there is more than a dial tone going on. They're actually looking at the ground figuring where the last tree was planted; figuring out where the next one could go; what's the most promising site for that tree and they're doing … ten trees a minute in some cases, and (sometimes) even faster," said John Mills, a spokesperson for the organization.
Rhodes and Birch don't envision the TreeRover taking human jobs; instead they foresee the robot working hand-in-hand with humans.
"If it does one day become commercially viable, we see it working alongside tree planters and we can add our experience in technology (and) electrical engineering to do our part in reforestation," said Birch.
"We're not looking to put people out of work – we're not trying to replace tree planters," he added.
The duo is working on improving the TreeRover prototype by adding GPS and an obstacle-avoidance system.
They are also raising funds for further upgrades to the robot on Indiegogo.
The first test for the TreeRover will come this fall, when Rhodes and Birch hand over their project to their professors.
With a report from CTV Victoria's Chandler Grieve
