Russia Turns to Drones and AI to Tackle Toxic Weed Problem
The country is testing a high-tech system that could map and predict the spread of a dangerous plant while reducing risks to humans.
Russia is rolling out plans for a unified monitoring system to combat the rapid spread of giant hogweed, a toxic plant that burns skin on contact and is notoriously hard to eradicate.
according to Russian news outlet Prime.
Pavel Prikhodko, Rocket Control’s chief engineer, says
The development phase is expected to take five to six months, including training the AI model and piloting the system in one test region. Data processing could happen in real time on the drone itself or after each flight, depending on conditions.
Russian officials believe the technology will cut down on human exposure to the hazardous plant and help authorities allocate resources more efficiently. If successful, the drone-and-AI approach could become a game-changer in tackling one of the country’s most stubborn environmental threats.
