Pangolin robot plants trees

A new tree-planting robot looks and acts like a pangolin, a scaly mammal known for its digging skills. The robot digs holes then drops “seed bombs” into them. The packets contain soil and yew tree seeds. The robot, called Plantolin, won the Natural Robotics Contest. Run by the University of Surrey in the UK, the contest asks people to submit robotic ideas that can help the planet. The Plantolin was created by a California high school student named Dorothy. Dorothy based her design on African ground pangolins, which use their hind legs to walk and their tails and front legs for balance. Experts at the university built a working model with motorized wheels for hind legs and claws for digging for front limbs. Once the Plantolin has scooped out dirt,…

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The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 239

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