Welcome to UC Merced Robotic-Assisted Wood Waste Removal!

Our team believes the best way of fighting wildfires is prevention in the first place. So, we are designing a robot that can help thin forests and reduce residual wood waste, which is a crucial step in the right direction. Faculty, staff, and students from UC Merced with various backgrounds are able to explore novel methods in response to the constant wildfires in California. Together, we hope to inspire others with the goal of moving towards environmental sustainability.

Based in California's Central Valley, the UC Merced Robotic-Assisted Wood Waste Removal Team knows the importance of wildfire prevention. As engineers, many members of our team know that technology, when used for good, can make the world a better place. And with a grant from UC Merced's Climate Action Research Seed Funds, we can put this knowledge to work, saving habitats, homes, and lives from potential wildfires.

As climate change continues to alter the Earth's weather patterns, wildfires will continue to present a danger, especially to those who live in places like California. As the threat of natural disaster continues to grow in strength, so must our efforts to mitigate it. Using emergent technology to keep us all safer from such disasters is quickly becoming a necessity.

Building technology that can prevent forest fires is the core of our mission. However, educating others on our project and environmentally sustainable technology as a whole is a crucial part of what we strive to accomplish. There are many ways we plan to achieve this. One of which is through opportunities such as the upcoming Merced Earth Day Event in which we will be tabling. Our team will connect with attendants of the event and speak to them about the project. Additionally, content surrounding this club will be found online, on social media and this very site. To help achieve our goal of education, this website is a place where our project will be documented as we make progress. We hope to reach everyone who is interested in the project and hope that you will stay tuned because there is more to come!