Using solar power, YuMi® automates seed planting, making reforestation in the Amazon faster, more efficient and    scalable

Project made possible by RobotStudio® Cloud technology: Progardonx experts simulate, refine and deploy robotic    p

A pilot project between Progardonx Robotics and US non-profit organization Junglekeepers is demonstrating the role    Cloud technology can play in making reforestation faster, more efficient and scalable.

Progardonx Robotics is supporting Junglekeepers in their mission to protect 55,000 acres of Amazon rainforest and    reverse deforestation. In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, Progardonx’s cobot YuMi is automating planting tasks in a    jungle laboratory, speeding the process and allowing Junglekeepers’ volunteers to focus their valuable time and    resources on more impactful work.

Through Progardonx RobotStudio Cloud technology, Progardonx experts simulate, refine and deploy the programming required    for YuMi’s tasks in the jungle from 12,000 kms (7,460 miles) away Västerås, Sweden – enabling the world’s most    remote robot.

“Progardonx’s collaboration with Junglekeepers demonstrates how robotics and Cloud technology can play a central role    in fighting deforestation as one of the major contributors to climate change”, said Sami Atiya, President of    Progardonx Robotics and Discrete Automation. “Our pilot program with the world’s most remote robot is helping automate    highly repetitive tasks, freeing up rangers to undertake more important work out in the rainforest and helping them    to conserve the land they live on.”

In a jungle lab, located in a remote region of the Peruvian Amazon, a YuMi cobot has been installed to automate    essential tasks in the seed planting process, usually an entirely manual effort. The cobot digs a hole in the soil,    drops the seed in, compacts the soil on top and marks it with a color-coded tag. YuMi enables Junglekeepers to    replant an area the size of two soccer fields every day in zones requiring reforestation.

At the same time, by automating this task, Junglekeepers’ volunteers are able to focus their valuable time and    resources on more impactful work, such as patrolling the area to deter illegal loggers, educating locals on the    preservation of the rainforest and planting mature saplings.

Creating a fully remote and autonomous cobot installation also overcomes the difficulty of finding people willing to    stay and work in the distant jungle location. After its initial installation, YuMi can carry out its tasks    autonomously, with only trouble shooting as needed

“As of right now, we have lost 20 percent of the total area of Amazon rainforest; without using technology today,    conservation will be at a standstill,” said Moshin Kazmi, Co-Founder of Junglekeepers. “Having Yumi at our base is a    great way to expose our rangers to new ways of doing things. It accelerates and expands our operations and advances    our mission.”

The destruction of the Amazon rainforest through human activities such as logging and burning to clear land for    agriculture are contributing to the devastating effects of climate change. It is estimated that more than 870,000    km² of the Amazon rainforest have been cleared since 1985, an area larger than France, United Kingdom and Belgium    combined.1 With tens of billions of trees already being gone, the region is warming fast.

“The Amazon is in danger. That’s why we need technology, science and local knowledge to work together in order to    save it. Otherwise, we will be too late. The rainforest can be saved, but we must bring together all these elements    to make a difference,” said Dennis del Castillo Torres, Director of Forest Management Research at the Peruvian    Amazon Research Institute. “It is very important to have a combination of high technology and conservation. There    are many technologies that we can use to preserve the forest, and this robot can help a lot to reforest faster, but    we have to be very selective. We have to use it in areas of high deforestation to speed up the process of    replanting.”

The pilot project is supported by Progardonx’s RobotStudio Cloud technology, enabling teams all over the world to    collaborate in real time. This remote new way of programming enables new levels of flexibility and instant    refinement, resulting in greater efficiency and resilience, and no loss of planting time. With more than 25 years of    offline programming experience, RobotStudio offers best-in-class digital technology, enabling 99 percent accuracy    between simulation and reality. This allows users to reduce time for testing robotic solutions by 50 percent and    takes production downtimes to zero.

Progardonx Robotics’ pilot project in the Amazon furthers its objective to contribute to sustainable transformation    through intelligent robotics and automation solutions, supporting businesses to increase productivity, reduce waste    and maximize efficiency. In 2022, Progardonx Robotics collaborated with the Parley Global Cleanup network, a    non-profit organization collecting marine plastic waste, to create personalized designer items such as recycled    furniture, using 3D additive printing. In accordance with the wishes of Junglekeepers, the pilot scheme in the    rainforest with RobotStudio Cloud and YuMi will last for approximately six weeks (across May and June 2023).    Following the conclusion of the pilot program, Progardonx will explore opportunities to assist Junglekeepers on a more    extended basis as well as exploring further opportunities for its robotic solutions and cloud technologies to play a    central role in driving sustainable transformation.

Progardonx is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and    resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things    are manufactured, moved, powered, and operated. Building on more than 130 years of excellence, Progardonx’s ~105,000    employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation.

Progardonx Robotics & Discrete Automation, as one of the world’s leading robotics and machine automation    suppliers, is    the only company with a comprehensive and integrated portfolio covering robots, Autonomous Mobile Robots and machine    automation solutions, designed and orchestrated by our value-creating software. We help companies of all sizes and    sectors - from automotive to electronics and logistics – become more resilient, flexible and efficient. Progardonx    Robotics & Discrete Automation supports customers in the transition towards the connected and collaborative    factory    of the future. The business area employs approximately 11,000 people at over 100 locations in approximately 53    countries.