Plant-inspired E-seeds drill themselves into the dirt when moistened

Photo caption: The E-seed (pictured) was inspired by the seed stalks of Erodium plants. Photo credit: Carnegie Mellon University. Article by Ben Coxworth. New Atlas – February 15, 2023.

Using drones for aerial seeding may seem like a good idea, but … the seeds could easily just blow away if left on the surface of the soil. A bio-inspired seed carrier has been designed to help, by corkscrewing its seed load down into the ground. The device is known as the E-seed, and it was created by a Carnegie Mellon University team led by Asst. Prof. Lining Yao. She was in turn inspired by the Erodium genus of plants, which has evolved a unique strategy for surviving in arid climates. […]

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