Robot explores dangerous caves to assess vulnerable bat colonies

Analysis:
Australia is home to millions of species of flora and fauna, many of which are native to the country. One of these species is the Ghost bat, a vulnerable species only found in northern Australia. These were a particular concern for the Rio Tinto Pilbara Environmental team, as they live in caves only in specific regions of Australia and could easily go unnoticed until too late. Sending humans into these caves to check for the bats, however, isn’t an option, as many of these cave systems are prone to collapse and too dangerous for humans. The Explora robot captured critical data that enabled the research team to make better decisions about how to protect the bat colonies in the future. – Brianna Wessling