Forests offer essential resources and services to humanity, yet preserving and restoring them presents challenges, particularly due to the limited availability of actionable data, especially in hard-to-reach areas like forest canopies. Accessibility continues to pose a challenge for biologists collecting data in forest environments, often requiring them to invest significant time and energy in climbing trees to place sensors. This operation not only consumes resources but also exposes them to danger. Efforts in robotics have been directed towards accessing the tree canopy using robots. A swarm of drones has showcased autonomous navigation through the canopy, maneuvering with agility and evading tree collisions, all aimed at mapping the area and collecting data. However, relying solely on free-flying drones has proven insufficient for data collection. Flying drones within the canopy generates loud noise, disturbing animals and potentially corrupting the data. Additionally, commercial drones often have limited autonomy for dexterous tasks where aerial physical interaction could be required, further complicating data acquisition efforts. Aerial deployed sensor placement methods such as bio-gliders and sensor shooting have proven effective for data collection within the lower canopy. However, these methods face challenges related to retrieving the data and sensors, often necessitating human intervention.

翻译：森林为人类提供了不可或缺的资源与服务，然而其保护与恢复工作面临诸多挑战，这主要归因于可操作数据的匮乏，尤其是在森林冠层等难以抵达的区域。对于在森林环境中采集数据的生物学家而言，可进入性仍然是一个难题，他们通常需要投入大量时间和精力攀爬树木以安置传感器。此类操作不仅消耗资源，也使其面临危险。机器人技术领域已致力于利用机器人进入树冠层。无人机集群已展示出在冠层内自主导航的能力，能够灵活机动并规避树木碰撞，其目标在于区域测绘与数据采集。然而，仅依赖自由飞行的无人机已被证明不足以完成数据采集任务。在冠层内飞行的无人机产生巨大噪音，会惊扰动物并可能破坏数据质量。此外，商用无人机在执行可能需要空中物理交互的灵巧任务时，其自主性往往有限，这进一步增加了数据采集工作的复杂性。诸如生物滑翔机和传感器发射等空中部署传感器放置方法，已被证明在较低冠层内的数据收集中是有效的。然而，这些方法在数据和传感器的回收方面面临挑战，通常需要人工干预。