Earth Pigs as Soil Pollution Detectors: ‘Many Little Pigs!’ Crowdfunding Campaign Takes the Lead in Sustainable Environmental Protection

Earth pigs, ancient crustaceans that have colonized the mainland for millions of years, have adapted to their new environment by exhibiting gregarious behavior. However, when exposed to contaminated soil, they exhibit stress by fragmenting and separating from one another.

Researchers at the University of Milan-Bicocca are using this behavior to develop a natural method for assessing soil pollution. They have launched a crowdfunding campaign titled “Many Little Pigs!” with a goal of raising 10,000 euros to fund the development of an instrumental prototype that combines the behavioral responses of piglets with artificial intelligence tools to distinguish healthy soil from contaminated soil.

The prototype will use an infrared micro-camera detector and a Plexiglas arena to monitor the aggregation state of earth pigs on contaminated soil. The device will automatically analyze the piglets’ behavior to provide quick and accurate environmental quality reports.

The project is part of the VI edition of BiUniCrowd, an initiative of the University of Milan-Bicocca. A2A has agreed to co-finance the crowdfunding campaign. Supporters can donate on the project page and may receive rewards like having their garden soil analyzed for health.

The “Many Little Pigs!” project aims to revolutionize soil pollution assessment by using earth pigs’ behavior and advanced technology to identify contaminated soil accurately and efficiently. By working together with the community and supporters, the researchers hope to create a sustainable method for protecting the environment from pollution.