What it does
Seed Rover autonomously reseeds grasslands via rolling, solving manual/heavy machinery's organizational and ecological issues. Its lightweight tensile structure and wind/solar actuation enables sustainable operation with minimal soil disturbance.
Your inspiration
The Hunshandake Sandy Land, China's closest major desert to Beijing (the author's location), initiated grassland restoration efforts. On April 10, 2025, Baiyinkoolan Scenic Area (a National Grassland Nature Park pilot) mobilized 500+ officials, herders and volunteers for manual reseeding (90% human labor), facing funding, staffing and technological constraints. "Ant Forest" case studies show multi-stakeholder green gamification can overcome traditional governance limitations, making this an ideal testing ground for adoption-based gaming and robotic seeding solutions that combine ecological restoration with cultural tourism development.
How it works
Seed Rover features structural and actuation innovations. Its spherical tensegrity design uses 6 struts and 30 cables (4 dedicated to membrane control), building on UC Berkeley's 6-strut/24-cable research but enhanced for terrestrial use. Its spatial framework arranges struts with actuators and spring cables. Membranes serve as wind-capturing sails. The dual-mode actuation combines passive wind-driven movement (zero energy) and solar-powered active control. Wind actuation adjusts membrane area for movement/stability. Active mode uses cable adjustment to shift center of gravity for controlled rolling, with programmed gait sequences for precision maneuvers. Vision system enables first-person "virtual exploration" via mobile interfaces, with social media sharing features to boost engagement. This connects online gamingwith offline eco-tourism, creating sustainable conservation-economy feedback loops through emotional engagement and ecological IP development.
Design process
The design process included research, prototyping, and model development. Field studies and interviews with users and experts identified functional and emotional requirements. These were analyzed using AHP methodology to determine priority design needs through judgment matrices and weighted scoring. QFD theory then translated requirements into technical specifications via a "House of Quality" matrix, with autocorrelation matrices identifying design conflicts. TRIZ's 40 inventive principles resolved these conflicts to optimize the seeding robot design. Prototyping employed 3D printing and hands-on testing, featuring networked micro-cameras as visual modules that capture and transmit the robot's dynamic rolling motions to users, enhancing engagement. Expert feedback refined digital models. Final models used stereolithography printing and CMF processes, balancing technical precision with aesthetic appeal.
How it is different
The innovative aspects of Seed Rover encompass three key dimensions: structural design, actuation mode, and crowdsourced public welfare models. It overcomes limitations of manual/mechanical reseeding (singular participation, labor constraints, funding challenges, ecological risks) with a lightweight, unmanned, low-cost solution enabling funding loops.Its lightweight hollow tensegrity structure combines rigidity and flexibility to minimize ecological disturbance while ensuring robustness. The system merges precise directional control with zero-energy wind actuation achieveing both precise control and energy-efficient operation.A green gamification-based crowdsourcing platform engages digital nomads through emotional connections, converting gaming participation into conservation funding and online activity into offline eco-tourism, creating sustainable environmental and economic benefits.
Future plans
Future plans involve advanced prototypes to collect Baiyinkoolan grassland data (wind, terrain, vegetation) for feasibility validation. Currently, the wind conditions and terrain characteristics at our Beijing R&D site differ from Baiyinkoolan, requiring payload capacity adjustments. Next steps assess mass production viability, unit costs, and seed pricing. The user app will feature "virtual exploration," "seed store," "robot customization," and "snapshot sharing," with expert-led testing post-launch.
Awards
None
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