The BoTiKI project team gave visitors an insight into a fascinating micro-world.
The BoTiKI research project , which was launched last year, was a guest at the stand of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) at the Green Week in Berlin. From January 16 to 25, the stand in Hall 27 "grünerleben" of the exhibition grounds attracted numerous curious visitors who wanted to find out more about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for nature conservation and climate protection, among other things.
On January 22 and 23, the information stand was personally supervised by the project managers Dr. Clément Schneider from the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung Görlitz and Dr. André Seeliger from the Institute for Process Engineering, Process Automation and Measurement Technology (IPM) at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. They offered visitors insights into a fascinating world that remains almost hidden to the naked eye: Living soil animals were on display under microscopes and magnifying glasses, supported by videos showing current project activities. In a relaxed, half-hour presentation, the scientists explained the motivation and objectives of the BoTiKI project.
The response was consistently positive and interest was high. The project partners met a mixed audience at the stand, ranging from expert colleagues from the scientific community to citizens with a general interest in environmental issues and school classes. The immediate vividness of the live microscopy and the multimedia-supported presentation of how artificial intelligence helps to analyze the complex world of soil fauna ensured many curious questions and therefore few breaks.
In technical terms, BoTiKI is about accelerating the analysis of soil samples with the help of an AI-supported workflow. Automatic image processing is used to recognize, count and classify the microorganisms contained in them. The data obtained ultimately helps to make a better assessment of soil health and determine its role in the climate system - for example as a reservoir or source of greenhouse gases. These findings can provide important information for agricultural practice.
With a record number of 350,000 visitors, the Green Week came to a successful close on January 25, ultimately providing the BoTiKI team with an excellent platform to present its work to a broad public.
The project "Open AI system for the description of soil fauna communities to optimize greenhouse gas emission modelling (BoTiKI)" is funded by the initiative "AI Lighthouses for Environment, Climate, Nature and Resources" of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
Text: André Seeliger
Photos: BMUKN / Espen Eichhöfer, Clément Schneider, Marla Schulz, André Seeliger
