title: Biodiversity research requires more rotors and wheels on and above ground, as well as below water
abstract: Human activities have caused rapid decline in biodiversity, with accelerating species extinction. Simultaneously, recent advancements in artificial intelligence and autonomous systems offer transformative potential for biodiversity research. Unmanned vehicles—such as drones, ground robots, and underwater robots—equipped with high-resolution sensors enhance our ability to monitor ecosystems with unprecedented efficiency and scale. Here, we review studies published in Web of Science (1930–2023) us