Land Life, a company focused on reforestation, has joined forces with German automotive leader Continental to develop an autonomous robot designed to plant trees in rugged landscapes. This new machine, featuring a drilling and seeding module by Continental Engineering Services (CES), can plant 60 seeds per hour, or one every minute. Built on a caterpillar-tracked platform from Germany’s Stella Engineering, the robot is adapted to handle the rough terrain commonly encountered in reforestation.
“We are pleased to partner with Land Life to jointly develop a sustainable solution for the preservation and protection of vital ecosystems,”
said Martin Poettcher, Head of CES’ Greentech division.
“We have adapted the robot to our proven, robust automotive technology so that it can operate in an automated and safe way, even in rough terrain. Our collaboration will clearly benefit the environment.”
For Land Life, the seeding robot has the potential to transform reforestation, which has traditionally been labor-intensive and costly. This prototype offers a more efficient and cost-effective alternative, bringing technology to reforestation in a way that promises faster, larger-scale results.
The robot’s drilling and seeding module performs several tasks at once. First, it clears weeds and grasses from the soil’s surface, then drills a hole at the ideal depth and width for the specific soil and tree. Using compressed air, it plants a specially prepared seed ball into the ground and covers it with soil—all in under a minute.
These seed balls, created in partnership with Incotec, have a special coating that increases their resistance to harsh conditions, which boosts the chances of sprouting. The stronger seeds also extend the planting season by two to four times, making it easier to reforest in diverse climates and soil types.
By planting seeds directly, the robot can reduce the number of seeds used by up to 80% compared to aerial methods—an important advantage when seeds are scarce.
This robotic technology is just one part of Land Life’s high-tech approach to reforestation. The company also uses drones, algorithms, and artificial intelligence to optimize its work and has a digital dashboard for clients to monitor planting locations, tree species, and growth data. So far, Land Life has completed over 130 projects, planting 10 million trees and restoring over 11,000 hectares.
“Our collaboration with CES will strengthen biodiversity while expanding natural ecosystems. This synergy of CES’ automotive know-how with Land Life’s reforestation background is advancing the approach to autonomous, high-quality nature restoration worldwide,”
said Harrie Lövenstein, Head of R&D at Land Life.
This partnership between Land Life and Continental highlights the promise of modern technology in environmental restoration, creating possibilities for more sustainable and impactful reforestation efforts worldwide.