2022
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WOBOT
Robotic worms, collecting excess of nitrogen from the soil
How Might We...
How might we help farmers to reduce their nitrogen impact?
Meet Team ekopais
Naemi
Naemi is studying process engineering in the second master semester.
Environmental awareness and living have always been very important for her. Try to make the world a little bit better was her motivation to participate in this project.
Christian
Christian is doing his master in computer science.
To improve his prototyping and design thinking skills, he decided to participate in this project. Together with his team, he now wants to contribute to the achievments of SDG 15.
Carina
Carina is currently working on her Master’s degree in Business Engineering.
Before that, she completed her Bachelor at the KIT Research Centre. The CBI A³ project is a new challenge for her to self-grow and learn new ways of thinking.
Matthias
Matthias is in the master of process engineering.
Before he did his bachelors degree in chemical technology. He joined spontaneously the project with the knowledge to do something for the environment.
The WOBOT is a single soil robot, with proportions like the European earthworm. As a team, multiple worms support the agricultural industry, by reducing the excess nitrogen in the soil. Together, with the autonomous field robot called WOBOT Kindergarten using CERN Technology CERNbot, the WOBOTs collect fertilizer before it reaches our groundwater. Once it is collected, it can be processed into new fertilizer for need-based application. This shall help against the consequences of pollution in the environment like eutrophication and reduce the lack of fertilizer.
The WOBOT Kindergarten is using the robotic arm of the CERN Technology CERNbot. WOBOTs that have completed their mission in the soil burrow back to the soil surface and are picked up by the CERNbot arm of the Wobot Kindergarten and placed in it.
If a WOBOT is lost in soil, the RescueBot is sent out to collect via magnetismus. ResuceBot, WOBOT and Kindergarten are connected via bluetooth.
Dimensions like European earthworms: Total length 30 cm; Diameter 2 cm; Speed 1.4 cm/s. To get the excess nitrate of 1 m² out of the soil, a single WOBOT needs 4 hours.
Take a closer look
Summary Visualisation
