Leveraging Drones and AI to Increase the Efficiency and Decrease Risk in Reforestation Projects

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Overview

Oko Environmental, a reforestation company dedicated to combating climate change by establishing indigenous forests in West Africa, intended to utilize drones and machine learning solutions to gather valuable data and insights regarding their reforestation projects.The objective was to gather various categories of relevant information, including germination rates, tree growth rates, environmental changes, and flood- and fire-related risks. This data would be used to help Oko make informed decisions and optimize their reforestation efforts.

Data Science and AI

Image segmentation

Industry

AgTech

Headquarters

London, UK

Company Size

250+

Challenge

While Oko Environmental recognized the potential effectiveness of drones and machine learning models to gather comprehensive data about their reforestation projects, they faced challenges in finding solutions to effectively capture and analyze data that could provide actionable insights.

The solution would need to enable them to collect drone data, process it using bespoke AI models, and finally present the collected and processed data via an easy-to-use interactive dashboard.

Solution

Aya Data collaborated with Oko Environmental to design, develop, and deploy a bespoke solution that would address all of their needs. The solution had the following key steps:

  1. Data Collection: Aya and Oko would capture high-resolution data across their reforestation sites using drones. The data would include images and other relevant environmental parameters.
  2. AI Model Development: Aya Data’s data scientists and ML experts would build a bespoke AI model, specifically tailored to Oko’s requirements. The model would be trained using the drone data. The AI model would be able to analyze and present key information, such as germination rates, tree growth rates, environmental changes, and potential risks.
  3. Interactive Dashboard: Aya was to create an intuitive and user-friendly interactive dashboard that could present the insights generated by the AI model. The dashboard would enable Oko’s employees to visualize and explore the data, helping them identify key areas of focus and make data-driven decisions.

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Results

Aya Data implemented the data collection and AI solutions for Oko Environmental. This led to significant improvement in their reforestation efforts:

  1. Increased Germination Rates: The interactive dashboard provided insights that allowed Oko to identify specific areas that required attention and intervention. This led to increased germination rates from 72% to 94%.
  2. Enhanced Decision Making: The insights provided by the dashboard enabled Oko to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, site management, and proactive natural hazard risk management, improving operational efficiency.
  3. Improved Project Efficiency: The use of drone data collection techniques and machine learning helped Oko streamline its data collection processes. The automated AI analysis reduced the need for manual effort and increased the accuracy and speed of data analysis.

The partnership between Aya Data and Oko Environmental and the utilization of drones, machine learning, and an interactive dashboard, led to an overall increase in efficiency regarding Oko’s reforestation efforts. 

The achieved results not only showcased the effectiveness of the solution but also demonstrated Oko Environmental’s commitment to combatting climate change through sustainable reforestation initiatives.