Dried Vegetation Clearing in Forests Using UGVs to Prevent Fires

Introduction

The term "firefighting sheep" refers to flocks that eat the grass in mountains and fields, thereby reducing the combustible material in case of a forest fire.

The following video explains a bit about their function: https://www.telemadrid.es/programas/disfruta-la-primavera/Como-trabajan-las-ovejas-bombero-2-2582761716--20230729082834.html

Motivation

The availability of "firefighting sheep" is limited, but their results are very good. The service offered involves the use of UGVs with shovels and "lawnmowers" that initially clear and then collect the removed material. This would reduce the amount of vegetative fuel in mountainous areas, minimizing the risk of fire.

Project Description

The project would consist in developing a fleet of UGVs with to clear dense forests areas of dried grass.

The project would be offered as RaaS (Robots as a Service), reducing the cost for the client as they don't have to pay the full price of the UGVs that will only be used once a year.

Municipalities of towns with high forest density would hire the service for clearing. This service could be offered at a lower cost than clearing done by humans, as thanks to autonomous systems, a single person could operate multiple UGVs.

This technology could also be adapted for military uses such as demining.

Areas of Interest

• Disaster-resilient society

• Dual-use technologies

• Defence Disruptive Technologies