SE Valley Times

Several experts from Arizona State University have contributed to a project that has won the $10 million XPRIZE Rainforest competition. Team Limelight Rainforest, formerly known as Team Waponi, was recognized for its innovative technology designed to assess rainforest biodiversity. This team includes four professors from ASU and over three dozen scientists globally.

The team spent five years developing a solution involving drones that drop devices onto tree canopies to measure sound, capture images, and collect insect and plant samples. The project combines artificial intelligence with Indigenous knowledge from local communities.

Garth Paine, an acoustic ecology expert who developed bioacoustic recorders for the project, expressed his excitement about the win. "It's unbelievable, to be honest," said Paine. He emphasized the potential impact on how international agreements regarding rainforest protection might evolve.

The final stage of the competition took place in Brazil's Amazon rainforest in July. Each finalist team had 24 hours to deploy their solution and 48 hours to analyze results. Team Limelight Rainforest identified over 250 species and 700 unique populations during this period, surpassing other teams in observed biodiversity.

Besides Garth Paine, ASU's Pavan Turaga, David Manuel-Navarrete, Tod Swanson, Ankita Shukla (now at the University of Nevada), and Nicholas Pilarski were integral members of the team.

The aim of the XPRIZE Rainforest competition is to quantify rainforest value by measuring biodiversity. Paine noted that placing a value on biodiversity could help preserve these habitats by aligning economic incentives with conservation goals.

Tom Walla from Colorado Mesa University led Team Limelight Rainforest and collected the prize at the G20 Social Summit in Rio de Janeiro. He stated: "Limelight has the potential to revolutionize the rate at which we monitor and assess biodiversity."

Team members Manuel-Navarrete and Swanson ensured Indigenous perspectives were included in their work. They collaborated with groups like Kichwa and Waorani through Iyarina, an organization focused on Indigenous research in Ecuador.

Paine highlighted Swanson's contribution: “If we talk to the Indigenous people that have lived there for centuries, they have a quite different perspective.”

Turaga praised Paine’s unique insight: “That's not the type of insight you would find in machine-learning circles.” Paine believes creativity plays a crucial role in innovation: “The creative mind can and often does lead these projects.”