Latai Ga

Tree-climbing robots are primarily utilized for pruning and harvesting in tall trees; however, limited structural degrees of freedom (DoFs) reduce their flexibility in complex environments. To improve the flexibility and environmental adaptability of the robots, this study proposes a novel three-armed claw-type tree-climbing robot inspired by gibbons. A 14 DoFs prototype with a total mass of approximately 2.52 kg was developed, comprising three manipulator arms and independently actuated claws. Kinematic models were separately established for the series-connected arms and the parallel-connected moving platform, with accuracy verified through numerical simulations. Based on these models, a control system was implemented, and a physical prototype was tested in field climbing experiments. Grasping tests on surfaces of varying roughness, including moist tree trunks, artificial wood, and smooth steel plates, demonstrated the adaptability of the claw to diverse materials. The robot successfully climbed trunks inclined at 52–90°, supporting a maximum payload of 1.81 kg; each full gait cycle averaged approximately 4 min. These results indicate that the robot can successfully imitate the movements of gibbons during climbing, thereby verifying the feasibility and practical application value of this bionic design in real-world forestry environments.

The global low-carbon transition is driving the use of renewable energy for ecological monitoring. Traditional power supply for forest monitoring sensor equipment is constrained by high wired costs, frequent battery replacement, and the limitations of low light levels and special spectra under forest canopies on photovoltaic (PV) compatibility. Existing research lacks exploration of the correlation between under-forest spectra and PV performance. This study measured the summer understory light spectra of five tree species in Beijing, evaluated the performance of three types of PV cells—monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, and amorphous silicon—and designed a low-light energy harvesting circuit. Results indicate that spectral differences under tree canopies are concentrated from 380–680 nm, exhibiting a distinctive forest-specific spectral feature of “high-band enrichment” above 680 nm. Under low-light conditions, polycrystalline silicon photovoltaics demonstrates optimal performance when adapted to this high-band spectrum. The designed circuit can activate at 5 W/m² irradiance and stably output 4.16 V voltage. This study fills a spectral gap in northern summer tree canopies, providing a comprehensive solution of “material adaptation + circuit customization” for the practical deployment of shaded forest PV systems.

Kaolin (KC) has highly promising prospects in the purification of the water environment and treatment of organic pollutants. However, its low adsorption capacity, poor selectivity and low reusability significantly constrain its further application as an agent for treating water pollution. Herein, a novel kaolin adsorbent, namely polyhydroxy iron-modified kaolin (PIK), has been devised through low-temperature liquid-phase synthesis and impregnation approaches, surmounting the limitations of non-selectivity and low adsorption capacity. The adsorbent accomplished selective adsorption of Direct Black 38 (DB38) with an adsorption capacity of 76.1 mg g⁻¹ and could maintain an adsorption efficiency of 82.0% even after being reused three times. This work demonstrates the remarkable adsorption performance of PIK and provides a promising strategy for the large-scale preparation and practical application of high-capacity kaolin adsorbents at low temperatures.