The University of Milan-Bicocca researchers are working on a unique approach to soil pollution assessment by using the behavior of earth pigs. Through their crowdfunding campaign titled “Many Little Pigs!”, they aim to develop an instrumental prototype that combines the responses of piglets with artificial intelligence tools to distinguish healthy soil from contaminated soil.
The project is based on the fact that earth pigs, ancient crustaceans, are social animals that colonized the mainland millions of years ago. They adapted to new environments by exhibiting gregarious behavior and sticking together to reduce individual contact with the air. However, when exposed to contaminated soil, their group fragments, indicating pollution levels.
Researchers have developed a rapid, economical, and non-invasive method for observing the gregarious behavior of earth pigs when exposed to soil contaminants. By studying how piglets react, they hope to determine pollution levels in the soil. To achieve this goal, they will use a device combining an infrared micro-camera detector and a Plexiglas arena to monitor the aggregation state of earth pigs on contaminated soil.
To fund the development of this prototype, 10,000 euros must be raised through a fundraising campaign on Ideaginger.it as part of BiUniCrowd’s VI edition initiative by A2A co-finances it. Supporters can donate on the project page and receive rewards such as having their garden soil analyzed for health. The “Many Little Pigs!” project aims to revolutionize soil pollution assessment by combining earth pigs’ behavior with advanced technology for accurate and efficient identification of polluted soil.
By working together with the community and supporters, researchers hope that this sustainable method will help protect the environment from pollution in the long run.