Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken some pretty massive leaps and bounds over the last several years. The level of AI once thought a thing found only in movies and books has become much more of a reality. While most of AI is used for practical purposes, a certain niche has revolved around spectacle sports. From Kung Fu fighting to track and field, it has been amazing to see how the technology has continued to advance. One robot, a modified Unitree G1 unit, is currently undergoing “training” to climb the world’s highest peak.
The robot is nicknamed “Pemba,” a nod to the common Sherpa name. Pemba just completed a climb of over 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) in South America. The robot summited Chimborazo, a mountain with a height higher than Everest if measured from the center of the earth, due to its equilateral location. Although particularly steep sections required human help, the fact Pemba was able to withstand the extreme conditions of 20,000 feet speaks to where robot capabilities are headed in adventure sports.
The project is spearheaded by engineer Pablo Berlanga Boemare and his company, Geologic Dome. Boemare plans to explore whether humanoid robots can operate in remote, high-risk environments such as dense jungles, hot deserts and snowy mountains. The long-term vision is for robots powered by AI and equipped with cameras, sensors, and satellite connectivity to monitor wildlife, detect environmental threats, and collect field data across large, remote areas without the risk of human life.
The short-term goal for Pemba is to complete the triple crown of high altitude climbing, starting with the summit of the peak furthest from the center of the earth, Chimborazo. Pemba will then move onto the largest base to summit climb when measured from the oceans floor, Mouna Kea, before finally attempting the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest. In fact, Pemba’s full name — Pemba José Lani — is also a tribute to the lofty goal. After a little bit of digging, it was discovered that Pemba was born on a Saturday. In Sherpa culture, one is named after the day of the week they were born, hence the name Pemba. Its middle name, José, comes from the most popular male name in Ecuador. And its last name, Lani, means “heaven” in Hawaiian.
The next step for Pemba is a summit of Mouna Kea, the tallest mountain in Hawaii and also a contender for the highest peak in the world depending on how you measure it. Mouna Kea is over 33,500 feet (10,210 m) when measured from the ocean floor, placing it nearly 5,000 feet higher than Everest when based on these metrics. Mouna Kea will be a perfect testing ground for Pemba’s battery life, thought to be its biggest challenge at altitude.
Boemare hopes to have Pemba at the summit of Everest as early as October. The first question was could a robot perform at such an altitude, which has partially been proven with the summit of Chimborazo. The second is Nepal’s regulations when it comes to climbing robots, as this is new and unfamiliar territory. Currently, Nepal only allows drones at the summit for “public benefit.” Examples include high altitude research or carrying loads from camp 2 to Camp 3. Lastly, it is a question of funds. Boemare estimates he and Geologic Dome will require approximately half a million dollars in funding to accomplish the climb.
While the climbs could look to be a bit of a publicity stunt, Boemare assures that it is much more than that. “Everything I do is because I fundamentally believe that this will save nature,” Boemare said in an article with Gripped. “I’m a bit of a dark horse in the conservation world because I believe robots are the only way to save nature and 95 percent of the community disagrees with me. But I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t believe so.”
While Boemare’s approach to conservation may be unconventional, it seems he and the team at Geologic Dome have their hearts and ambitions in the right place. What Pemba accomplishes in the coming months and years will be something for both the climbing and conservation worlds to keep an eye on.