To have a healthy ecosystem, we need biodiversity, as it supports all life on Earth, including humans. Without a variety of microorganisms, plants, and animals, we simply can’t have a balanced environment.
Biodiversity provides ecosystem services such as clean air, freshwater, and flood management, which are crucial to human well-being. It also supports food security, helps in carbon sequestration, detoxifies and decomposes waste, enhances resilience in organisms, and helps regulate disease. The genes in plants and animals are even used to develop medicines and pharmaceuticals.
So, it’s clear that we need a better understanding of biodiversity. A powerful tool to study biodiversity in forests and tree canopies is the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA). However, collecting the samples of eDNA isn’t easy in such high and complex environments.
Traditionally, labor-intensive approaches like tree rolling or surface swabbing have been used to achieve the task. Relying on satellite imagery or using cranes to study regions not only required significant efforts to reach sufficient coverage but also lacked precision.
But not anymore. Drones are all set to transform the situation by providing close-up, high-resolution imaging and data collection capabilities.
A new study proposed using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to explore biodiversity in treetops, specifically in remote and inaccessible areas. This means drones will perform the job safely without requiring people to go to hard-to-reach areas like tropical rainforests to collect genetic material from treetops while helping us get a deeper understanding of biodiversity.
Gathering eDNA Using Drones
eDNA is found in biological substances such as mucus, feces, and dead skin cells and has been used to examine biodiversity for several decades now. Used to catalog and monitor biodiversity, the DNA traces help researchers determine which species are present in a particular area.
Early last year, scientists from ETH Zurich research institute used this technique to find out just which species use forest canopy to build their homes.
To build this special drone that has the ability to gather samples on tree branches on its own, researchers at ETH Zurich along with those from the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL partnered with the company SPYGEN.
The aircraft was installed with adhesive strips on the bottom of it. The UAV was gently brought down on branches and once generic material was transferred from branches to these adhesives, it was then analyzed.
But ranches vary in their thickness and elasticity. And having the aircraft approach a branch and remain stable to take samples successfully proved to be a big challenge for the researchers.
“Landing on branches requires complex control.”
– Stefano Mintchev, Professor of Environmental Robotics at ETH Zurich and WSL at the time
So, the team fitted the drone with a force-sensing cage, which allowed the aircraft to measure the flexibility of the branch and use that to move. The device was then tested on seven tree species, and the samples were found to contain DNA from 21 distinct groups of organisms, including birds, insects, and mammals.
While this is an easier, faster, and safer alternative to sending biologists high up into the treetops, even this method isn’t completely risk-free.
When using the drone, there is a risk of not only damaging the tree but also the drone itself in case there’s an unintentional hard collision. Then, there’s the limitation of gathering samples only from branches on which the drone lands. So, while the results have been “encouraging,” the drone had to improve.
An Improved System to Study Biodiversity
Now, scientists from ETH Zurich have created a novel, custom-designed robotic system. This new approach for UAVs to collect eDNA within tree canopies uses a surface swabbing technique.
Led by Steffen Kirchgeorg, a robotics PhD student at ETH Zurich, the study developed a sampling system with a flat fabric probe. The piece of fleece cloth is actually cut into a circle, much like how a coffee filter is shaped, and attached with fiberglass strips to provide structure.
The probe is moved down on a tether from a lifting gear mounted on the quadcopter’s underside. This way, the drone is kept out of the vegetation.
The drone was also equipped with a sensor that prevents the tether of the probe from tangling on branches. The researchers programmed the system to shift position automatically when detecting an impact.
The way it works is that the UAV hovers safely above the treetops. The probe is then lowered through the foliage where it brushes against leaves and branches. And once eDNA has been gathered, the probe can be removed for its content to be subsequently analyzed.
The experiment was performed in a rainforest in Southeast Asia, where the drone was remotely controlled by Kirchgeorg and colleagues through a live feed from its onboard camera. The drone was flown out of the line of sight to collect ten samples from the forest canopy.
The effectiveness of the new approach was demonstrated during the XPRIZE Rainforest Semi-Finals, where the team revealed they found the eDNA of 152 different species from these samples, most of which belonged to spiders and insects.
The team even found the eDNA of the long-tailed macaque monkey along with termite species, multiple ants, and the gall midge, which is a type of fly.
“If we want people to protect nature, we need to tell them what we are actually protecting — with our solution, we hope to better understand the life in the canopy.”
– Lead author Kirchgeorg
This alternative to studying biodiversity in remote habitats, according to the team, is critical for conservation and restoration initiatives. In the next step, the team will focus on investigating just how the penetration depth, the probe interactions with vegetation, and the sampling duration affect the samples’ DNA concentration.
The Revolutionization of Drones
Drones, which are also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) due to operating without having a human pilot onboard, have grown substantially over the past decade and are quickly becoming an integral part of many industries.
Driven by this demand, the drone technology market is expected to grow from $33.9 billion in 2023 to $61.2 bln in 2029.
These flying robots come in varying sizes and are either controlled remotely or through pre-programmed algorithms thanks to making use of cameras, sensors, GPS systems, and communication links.
They provide cost-effective solutions to businesses through their varied capabilities, which include real-time image and video capture, surveillance, mapping, and delivery services. The usage of the latest technologies like AI has further augmented the many functionalities of drones, enabling informed and timely decision making, advanced data analytics, and autonomous operations.
All these capabilities of drones make them particularly beneficial in helping researchers observe species behaviors, migration patterns, and ecosystem changes without disturbing wildlife.
Meanwhile, the fact that these flying robots can easily navigate dense forests and reach treetops that are otherwise inaccessible, allows scientists to collect data on plant species for the very first time. And by keeping them deployed over time, changes can be monitored for years to collect long-term data that can help study and predict the impact of climate change or deforestation.
This, however, is just one of many cases of drone use. Some of the innovative applications of drones are seen in agriculture where these UAVs help monitor crop health, detect pests, manage irrigation, and optimize yields.
Besides revolutionizing farming with precision agriculture techniques, drones can also be deployed in disaster-prone areas for search and rescue missions, delivering essential supplies, and assessing damage. In emergencies like wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes, these drones can be indispensable for their ability to quickly navigate hazardous areas without putting any lives in danger.
Other industries where drones are being used increasingly include making deliveries, inspecting hard-to-reach infrastructure such as bridges and pipelines, and creating detailed 3D models of construction sites or mines.
All these examples show the evolution of drones from being a novelty, used primarily by hobbyists or in the military, to now permeating various sectors ranging from healthcare, construction, and environmental monitoring to pizza and medicine delivery, supply chain, aircraft maintenance, and more.
The growing usage and popularity of drones are driven by advances in technology. For instance, AI and ML algorithms are now increasingly integrated into embedded systems to make these machines more efficient and smarter.
There are also low-power, high-performance microcontrollers and processors, resulting from innovations in semiconductor technology. These advances boost the efficiency and durability of drones by providing more computing power while consuming less energy.
Other important advances helping expand drone applications have been wireless communication technologies such as 5G and IoT to enable faster and more reliable data transmission and real-time operating systems (RTOS) for precise timing and task management.
All of these technological advancements have significantly improved the performance and capabilities of drones, helping drive their application in wider fields.
Companies Developing Drone Solutions
Now, let’s take a look at companies that are at the forefront of drone technology development.
DJI is the dominant force in the drone industry, providing a wide range of consumer, professional, and industrial drone solutions that are used across agriculture, surveying, and infrastructure inspection.
Boeing (BA +0.59%) is another name for developing high-endurance drones for defense and commercial uses, while Northrop Grumman (NOC -0.52%) is involved with the development of UAVs like the RQ-4 Global Hawk. Lockheed Martin (LMT +0.07%) is yet another defense giant involved in drone technology while Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS +0.16%) is expanding into commercial sectors.
If we look at the agricultural industry, Draganfly (DPRO -7.69%) drone technology focuses on AI-driven analytics, mapping, and emergency response systems. AgEagle Aerial Systems (UAVS -20.82%) creates drone-based solutions for environmental monitoring while Parrot is a major European drone manufacturer for usage in precision agriculture, 3D mapping, and biodiversity research.
Time to take a deeper dive into a couple of prominent names:
#1. AeroVironment, Inc.
A leader in drone technology, AeroVironment specializes in UAVs for military and commercial applications, including environmental monitoring and agriculture.
AeroVironment, Inc. (AVAV -1.28%)
Trading at $209 at the time of writing, the price of AeroVironment shares has risen 65% this year, bringing the company’s market cap to $5.865 billion. It has an EPS trailing twelve months (TTM) of 2.12, a P/E (TTM) of 98.08, and a ROE (TTM) of 8.30%.
For Q2 2024, the company reported $189.5 million in revenue, up 24.4% year on year. The non-GAAP profit of $0.89 per share meanwhile was down from $1 per share in the same quarter last year. Its free cash flow at the end of the quarter was $22.92 million.
The “record first-quarter revenue” comes as the drone maker focuses on becoming a multibillion-dollar company in the next three to five years, up from $717 mln in revenue in fiscal 2024.
Its product, Switchblade is central to these ambitions, which is a loitering munition used by both the Russians and Ukrainians. AeroVironment is currently working on overcoming jamming with the latest modifications, which along with better training will increase Switchblade’s effectiveness rate above 80%.
Recently, the US Army handed the company its largest-ever contract, worth up to $990 million, to cover Switchblade purchases through 2029. Back in May, the Pentagon had also given AeroVironment a contract to build Switchblades for its Replicator project. This isn’t it either, even the UK, Lithuania, and France have bought Switchblades. More than 20 countries, according to AeroVironment, are seeking to buy this aircraft.
#2. Trimble Inc.
Trimble offers geospatial and agricultural drone solutions that help with data collection, land management, and 3D mapping. Their technologies play a critical role in precision agriculture and construction monitoring. Its solutions include Trimble Geospatial which focuses on information exchange and productive workflows, Trimble Agriculture which offers a FAST App that helps users find the right precision ag product combination for their farming needs, and Trimble Reality Capture which offers 360-degree imagery and point clouds.
Trimble Inc. (TRMB -1.01%)
Trading at $62.14, as of writing, the price of Trimble shares has risen 16.82% this year that brings the company’s market cap to $15.175 billion. It has an EPS trailing twelve months (TTM) of 6.13, a P/E (TTM) of 10.14, and a ROE (TTM) of 30.34%.
For Q2 of 2024, the company reported $2.11 bln in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), which is an increase of 14%, while gross margins were 66.5% and an expanded EBITDA margin of 24.6%. 75% of Trimble’s revenue came from software services, and the company emphasized the focus on AI solutions, industry scale, and the early stages of monetization. Tremble also shared plans to resume share buyback. Meanwhile, the company is facing challenges in the Chinese and Japanese markets and is seeing slow revenue recognition in the automotive market.
This month, Tremble extended its long-standing joint venture with Caterpillar Inc. for the distribution of grade control solutions. Earlier this year, in Feb., Trimble and DroneDeploy introduced premier positioning accuracy for reality capture from drones, which will allow operators to “deliver highly accurate maps” more quickly and consistently, “enabling drones to be used in precision geospatial applications.”
Conclusion
The use of drones to collect eDNA in areas that are practically inaccessible to humans marks yet another exciting application of UAVs and a significant leap forward in environmental conservation efforts. Also, by providing detailed biodiversity data while removing the need for human access to dangerous locations, drones allow for faster, safer, and more comprehensive monitoring of ecosystems.
Already, technological innovations have expanded drone applications to a wide array of industries including logistics, agriculture, defense, and environmental monitoring. Now, it is primed to reshape the biodiversity research that can help us address the impacts of climate change and guide our efforts to safeguard the planet’s biodiversity, which is critical to humans, the environment, and the economy.
Click here for a list of five best drone companies to invest in.
