The EU-backed OLGA project is testing an AI robot at Milan Malpensa Airport to monitor and support biodiversity around transport infrastructure.
At Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy, biodiversity monitoring is being tested in a place most people would not associate with nature recovery. The EU-backed OLGA project is using a smart robot to help monitor and improve biodiversity around airport infrastructure.
Airports contain large areas of grass, margins and managed land. These spaces are not wilderness, but they can still matter for insects, plants and birds when they are managed carefully and safely.
The interesting part of the project is the mix of constraints. Airport land must remain safe for operations, but it can also be observed more intelligently. A robot can help collect repeatable data and show where management choices are helping or harming biodiversity.
This is a small but clever example of modern conservation. Nature does not only exist in national parks. It also appears in the leftover and working spaces of Europe, where better monitoring can turn ordinary land into better habitat.
Source: CORDIS / European Commission