Team led by Illinois tech professor returns from Amazon after competing in XPRIZE rainforest finals

Illinois Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Natural State, The Morton Arboretum, and Indigenous communities collaborate to advance biodiversity monitoring and data collection in five-year, $10 million competition

Illinois Institute of Technology

 

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The Welcome to the Jungle team works in the Amazon rainforest during the finals of the XPRIZE Rainforest competition.

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Credit: Illinois Institute of Technology

CHICAGO—October 1, 2024—A team led by Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) Professor Matthew Spenko has returned from the Amazon after competing in the finals of the prestigious XPRIZE Rainforest competition. The team, Welcome to the Jungle, also included members from Purdue University, Natural State, The Morton Arboretum, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden-Chinese Academy of Sciences, and local Indigenous communities, representing a profound collaboration dedicated to harnessing diverse expertise to advance rainforest conservation.

XPRIZE Rainforest is a global five-year, $10 million competition that challenges teams to innovate rapid and autonomous technology to expedite the monitoring of biodiversity and data collection, enhancing our understanding of tropical rainforest ecosystems around the world. After the semifinals in Singapore ended in spring 2023, six teams advanced to the finals in the Amazon in July 2024. The teams are judged on who surveyed the most biodiversity in 24 hours and produced the most impactful real-time insights within 48 hours.

“This experience has been transformative for all of us involved,” said Spenko, of the Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering. “The interdisciplinary nature of our team has allowed us to leverage expertise from various fields, leading to innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of the rainforest ecosystem. We are incredibly proud of our accomplishments and the collaborative spirit that drove our success.”

To identify key species in the rainforest landscape, Welcome to the Jungle relied on local and Indigenous knowledge experts, remote sensing from automated drone flights and satellite data for tree canopy and landscape assessment, and drone-deployed sensor packages placed in the tree canopy to capture acoustic data, imagery, and environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing for biodiversity identification and classification. Spenko’s partners at Purdue University, led by Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Jinha Jung, took the lead on aerial surveying to measure vegetation, to quantify tree species’ diversity, and to determine potential sensor deployment locations.

“The integration of aerial surveying technology with on-the-ground data has provided unprecedented insights into the rainforest’s biodiversity,” said Jung, a member of Purdue’s Institute for Digital Forestry. “Our collaborative efforts have demonstrated the power of combining cutting-edge technology with ecological research to address environmental challenges effectively.”

In one episode that highlighted Welcome to the Jungle’s interdisciplinary nature, the team relied on Indigenous knowledge of local flora to identify where they might find water, which they could then collect with a drone and analyze for eDNA. Although the quantity of water collected was not sufficient to produce robust eDNA results (the stream was too shallow due to declining water level in the dry season), the episode represents a significant example of how traditional ecological knowledge can contribute to the scientific process to enhance environmental research and preservation.

Throughout the competition, Welcome to the Jungle demonstrated a strong commitment to following Brazilian laws related to genetic heritage, traditional knowledge, and benefit-sharing. XPRIZE partnered with the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) to obtain the necessary permits for collecting genetic samples, including eDNA. All genetic samples were registered through SISGEN to guarantee transparency and compliance with regulations. Additionally, the team ensured that no genetic data would be published or shared without clearance from XPRIZE and its genetic partners, aligning with the most rigorous ethical and legal standards. Looking ahead, the team is committed to exploring future partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (ILPCs), ensuring that any benefit-sharing agreements are legal, fair, and respectful of the communities’ rights and contributions.

“The Welcome to the Jungle team exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary partnerships in advancing our understanding of rainforest ecosystems,” said Chai-Shian Kua, Ph.D, senior conservation officer of The Morton Arboretum’s Center for Species Survival: Trees. “By combining expertise from technology, ecology, and local knowledge, we have been able to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the rainforest’s biodiversity and the critical role it plays in our global ecosystem.”

Natural State, a Kenya-based nonprofit dedicated to global nature restoration, assisted the team by developing innovative monitoring and data transmission technologies.

“A significant challenge in linking nature and finance is the absence of rigorous, cost-effective impact monitoring systems,” said Natural State field researcher Margaret Njuguna. “To address this and help catalyze markets for Nature-based Solutions (NBS), Natural State has developed a verifiable impact monitoring system called uKweli (meaning ‘Truth’ in Kiswahili). This system quantifies the impacts of restoration projects in terms of carbon, biodiversity, and social benefits. It is transparent, cost-effective, and quantifiable, and can be verified by third parties. Additionally, we incorporated the use of Kutuma app (meaning ‘To send’ in Kiswahili), a field-to-cloud data transmission system that is highly robust and functions well even in areas with low internet connectivity. These innovations significantly improve our ability to monitor and protect vital ecosystems, particularly rainforests.”

The XPRIZE Rainforest competition also provided a unique opportunity for Illinois Tech students to work alongside a global team of experts, gaining hands-on experience in one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems.

“Participating in the XPRIZE Rainforest project is an incredible learning experience and an eye-opening adventure,” said Illinois Tech student Khang Pham (AE/M.S. Autonomous Systems and Robotics 4th Year). “We got to participate in a hands-on, meaningful project with the involvement of many different institutions and experts in several disciplines, bringing a more holistic understanding of how scientists and experts can come together to achieve something great. Doing fieldwork is really exhausting but also very rewarding as you get to new perspectives that are hard to see with just a theoretical view.”

Kevin Cassel, Illinois Tech’s vice provost of academic affairs and former dean of Illinois Tech’s Armour College of Engineering, highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing applied research and providing experiential learning opportunities for students.

“Professor Spenko’s team has been an inspiring example of how experts across disciplines can collaborate to push the boundaries of science and technology to advance our understanding of diverse ecosystems, and I’m grateful that the XPRIZE Rainforest competition has given Illinois Tech an opportunity to undertake such an impactful collaboration,” said Cassel. “This project not only advances our scientific knowledge but also offers invaluable practical experience for our students, preparing them to tackle real-world challenges.”

Illinois Tech alumnus Jim Albrecht (FE ’53, M.S. ’55) generously contributed to Welcome to the Jungle’s travel costs.

The winner of the XPRIZE Rainforest competition will be announced later this year.

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Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals