The first test in Italy of the OLGA robot for monitoring biodiversity at Malpensa

The first test in Italy of the OLGA robot, a technology developed as part of the European project OLGA - hOListic & Green Airports, designed to collect data useful for the protection and monitoring of biodiversity in airport environments, was carried out at Milan Malpensa Airport.

The experimentation took place both within the airport grounds and in the nearby Lombard Park of the Ticino Valley, one of the most important natural parks in Northern Italy. The robot, which has already been successfully tested at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), represents a new step in the development of advanced technological solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of airports.

 

The OLGA robot is designed to operate in complex natural environments and collect information on the state of habitats and the presence of plant species in airport green areas and surrounding natural areas.

 

Thanks to advanced sensors and detection systems, the device is able to monitor:

• the presence of plant species, with particular attention to invasive ones,
• the environmental conditions of green areas,
• the state of the natural habitats present in the territory.

 

The technology was developed by a team of technicians from the Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne, coordinated by Paris Airport as part of the OLGA project, in collaboration with SEA Milan Airports and the Ticino Park.

The autonomous robot, equipped with artificial intelligence systems, operates within the heath ecosystem and works together with an application dedicated to the observation of biodiversity.

The system integrates several advanced technologies:

• digital images for the visual detection of plant species,
• georeferencing systems to map the distribution of flora,
• artificial intelligence algorithms for the automatic recognition and classification of plants,

• collection of quantitative and qualitative data in real time on the state of vegetation.

   

This combination makes it possible to collect information on biodiversity with a level of detail and continuity that is difficult to achieve with traditional methods.

One of the most important aspects of the experimentation concerns the protection of the moor, a rare natural environment dominated by the heather that extends into the areas near the airport and falls within the perimeter of the Ticino Park.

The conservation of this habitat, considered one of the most precious and fragile in the area, is a priority for SEA, which through the OLGA project aims to improve the monitoring and protection of local ecosystems thanks to the use of innovative technologies.

A European project for more sustainable airports: the OLGA - hOListic & Green Airports project, funded by the European Horizon 2020 programme, involves several European airports including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Zagreb, Cluj and Malpensa.