Remote AI teams blog

Day 1 — Cairns to Ravenshoe (~140 km)

Working plan: Fuel up in Cairns and make the first shorter move toward Ravenshoe.

Fuel / camp position: Full starting fill in Cairns, refill water tanks where possible before departure, then roadside or remote mobile camp in the Ravenshoe corridor.

Field focus: Settle into the trip, begin fuel sample collection, and watch the roadside for early plant zones worth logging. This opening leg also sets up the 4T AI-driven drone program, with plant signatures being prepared for later aerial mapping flights over target zones.

Reference points to plan ahead: Ravenshoe sits near upland Tablelands country with access toward the Jirrbal area and nearby park/forest zones such as Tully Falls / Koombooloomba country. This makes it a useful early contact point for public-land checks and Traditional Owner awareness before sampling.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink is running, the Mac mini is powered and operational while driving, and log the day’s connection speeds and system performance.

Day 2 — Ravenshoe field day

Working plan: Hold in the Ravenshoe / upland area for a dedicated sampling and testing day.

Fuel / camp position: Stay camped in the same local working area.

Field focus: In the Ravenshoe upland zone, start by identifying useful high-rainfall and tableland species that may differ from the drier western country further ahead. Record photos, notes, scans, sample locations, and update MyTurboBot with plant research observations from the field. This day is about building a reference base for how plant communities change as the trip moves west.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. At lighter loads it appears to run at roughly 0.67 litres per hour (about 6 L over 9 hours), so an 8 hour field day should still be counted carefully against the main fuel reserves.

Reference points to plan ahead: Use Ravenshoe as the contact base for nearby public forest and national-park access enquiries, with attention to Jirrbal country and any local permissions or restrictions that may apply before entering specific work zones.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink remains active in camp, the Mac mini is collecting trip data locally, confirm Basecamp access is available, and record any working upload or sync speeds achieved in the area.

Day 3 — Ravenshoe to Georgetown (~265 km)

Working plan: Top up at Ravenshoe and continue toward Georgetown.

Fuel / camp position: Top up at Ravenshoe, refill water tanks where available, then aim for a practical roadside camp near or before Georgetown depending on daylight.

Field focus: Continue fuel sample collection and watch for changing vegetation zones along the route.

Reference points to plan ahead: Georgetown becomes the next planning anchor for Gulf Savannah public land, regional reserves, and local community contact points before moving further west.

Systems check: Confirm the Mac mini remains operational during the drive, Starlink performance is logged where available, and the day’s data is safely stored to the internal field drive.

Day 4 — Georgetown field day

Working plan: Stay in the Georgetown region for a full fieldwork block.

Fuel / camp position: Hold camp near the Georgetown working area.

Field focus: In the Georgetown region, begin looking more seriously for drier-country medicinal plants including likely Gumbi Gumbi country and other species used in Indigenous healing practice. Record the exact tree or shrub position, environmental conditions, associated species, and any signs of bark, leaf, or antiseptic-use traditions that may need follow-up with local knowledge holders. Upload all mapped observations into MyTurboBot. This is also a key aerial AI modelling day, where the 4T drone can be flown over a broader 20 km area to test plant-signature recognition and support the mapping plan.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. At lighter loads it appears to run at roughly 0.67 litres per hour (about 6 L over 9 hours), so generator fuel use should be tracked carefully against the vehicle and reserve fuel plan.

Reference points to plan ahead: Georgetown should be treated as an advance contact point for nearby public-country access and regional landholder / community checks before moving toward the more remote Gulf sections.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink, the Mac mini, and the local LLM workflow are all active while field research is underway, note the speeds or offline performance being achieved, and confirm Basecamp login access is available.

Day 5 — Georgetown to Normanton (~300 km)

Working plan: Fuel up and move on toward Normanton.

Fuel / camp position: Top up in Georgetown if needed, refill water tanks before leaving town, then move through to Normanton and camp where the next western leg starts cleanly.

Field focus: Movement day with selective roadside checks for promising species and visible environmental changes.

Reference points to plan ahead: Normanton is important for Lower Gulf planning. Use it as a contact point for Gulf community links, ranger contacts, and public-land / native-title awareness before any nearby sampling work.

Systems check: Confirm the onboard Mac mini is still running continuously, that Starlink usage is being monitored, and that all movement-day data is being saved locally.

Day 6 — Normanton field day

Working plan: Stay around the Normanton area rather than pushing on immediately.

Fuel / camp position: Hold camp in a practical working area and prepare for the next western remote leg.

Field focus: Around Normanton and the Lower Gulf, pay attention to species and healing practices associated with bark, leaf wash, antiseptic soap trees, and medicinal eucalyptus uses. This is a good day to look for how local plant uses may shift with the Gulf conditions and to note any areas where elder guidance or community contact would be essential before further sampling. Update MyTurboBot with all mapped field notes, and use the 4T AI-driven drone to scan a wider aerial search zone for plant signatures that can be checked on the ground.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. At lighter loads it appears to run at roughly 0.67 litres per hour, so an 8 hour working day still needs to be counted so the main fuel reserves are not accidentally overcommitted.

Reference points to plan ahead: The Normanton / Karumba district intersects with important Gulf Aboriginal country. Treat this as a day for both fieldwork and checking the right community / ranger / land-contact pathways for any nearby plant work.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink and the Mac mini are functioning throughout the field day, tally the connection quality and speeds achieved while updating research records, and confirm Basecamp can be reached.

Day 7 — Normanton to Burketown (~380 km)

Working plan: Fuel up and continue toward Burketown.

Fuel / camp position: Fuel up at Normanton and/or Burketown based on range, refill water tanks where available, then roadside camp in a practical remote area before the uncertain stretch.

Field focus: Long movement day with opportunistic plant and route notes only where practical.

Reference points to plan ahead: Burketown is a key western Gulf contact point. Nearby references include Carpentaria Land Council networks and the broader Boodjamulla / Lawn Hill public-land context further inland for future planning.

Systems check: Confirm the Mac mini remains operational on the move, Starlink performance is tracked, all fuel, plant, and route data is being written to the internal drive, and Basecamp login is available if needed.

Day 8 — Burketown field day

Working plan: Use this as another dedicated field day before crossing the next remote section.

Fuel / camp position: Hold a mobile camp position in the Burketown working zone.

Field focus: In the Burketown working zone, compare Gulf-country plants against the earlier inland observations and watch for species tied to saline, floodplain, and hotter lowland conditions. This day should focus on finding locally useful medicinal or antiseptic species, marking tree positions, and taking small vacuum-sealed reference samples only where culturally and practically appropriate. Upload the latest findings into MyTurboBot. The 4T drone should also be flown here to map the area from the air and test whether the current plant-signature library is matching what is being found on the ground.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. Its draw at lighter loads appears to sit around 0.67 litres per hour, so fuel reserves should still be tracked carefully before the next remote movement.

Reference points to plan ahead: Burketown can be used as the last stronger Queensland planning point before pushing further into the Gulf crossing. Advance community and public-land enquiries should be lined up from here where possible.

Systems check: Confirm both Starlink and the Mac mini are stable during the field day, log what upload performance or local processing speed is being achieved, and confirm Basecamp access remains available.

Day 9 — Burketown to Robinson River / bridge camp (~300 km)

Working plan: Bridge through the uncertain section and use Robinson River as the confirmed fuel point.

Fuel / camp position: Use Robinson River as the bridge fuel point, refill water where practical, and camp in a mobile position that supports the Borroloola run.

Field focus: Focused route-control day with fuel comparison, country notes, and selective plant observation.

Reference points to plan ahead: Robinson River is an Aboriginal community reference point and should be treated carefully as a contact and permissions anchor rather than just a fuel stop.

Systems check: Confirm the Mac mini continues to hold the local research archive, Starlink performance is noted where possible, data is syncing or storing correctly during transit, and Basecamp is reachable for storage backup if required.

Day 10 — Robinson River / transition field day

Working plan: Hold position for another field and reset day before the next long movement.

Fuel / camp position: Maintain a simple remote roadside or mobile camp position.

Field focus: Use this transition day to consolidate plant records, fuel notes, testing work, and route planning while checking which species or medicine-related observations now need verification from local elders or community contacts. Make sure MyTurboBot is updated with the current plant research gathered so far.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. Even on transition days, if the system is run for testing or processing, its Yamaha fuel use still needs to be checked so it does not eat into the main trip reserves.

Reference points to plan ahead: Use this as a contact day for community awareness, local access considerations, and confirming the next safe movement toward Borroloola.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink remains available where possible, the Mac mini and onboard LLM are still operating correctly, and note the day’s practical field performance.

Day 11 — Robinson River to Borroloola (~350 km)

Working plan: Move through to Borroloola and set up for the Northern Territory leg.

Fuel / camp position: Major refill at Borroloola, refill water tanks at the same time, then camp to suit the next move toward Jabiru or the Darwin approach.

Field focus: Use the day mainly for movement, logistics, and preparing the next stage of plant research.

Reference points to plan ahead: Borroloola is a major NT planning anchor with clear Aboriginal-community context and links toward places such as Barranyi / North Island National Park and nearby Indigenous protected areas. It is a strong point to organise permissions and next-stage sampling contacts.

Systems check: Confirm the Mac mini is still running as the secure field-data hub, Starlink speeds are logged, all drone, plant, and route data is retained on the internal drive, and Basecamp can be accessed for uplink storage.

Day 12 — Borroloola field / decision day

Working plan: Use this day either as a final dedicated sampling day or as the decision point for the next push toward Jabiru and Darwin.

Fuel / camp position: Stay based from Borroloola or a nearby practical remote camp depending on the route choice.

Field focus: Around Borroloola and into the Northern Territory zone, the research priority should broaden toward species more likely to align with Kakadu plum country and other northern medicinal plant systems. This is also the place to prepare for direct discussions with local knowledge holders if available, especially around healing remedies, bark uses, soaps, and antiseptic plants. Update MyTurboBot with the latest field intelligence and decide whether the next day is another sampling block or a longer movement day. This is also a major aerial AI modelling opportunity where the 4T drone can load target plant signatures, fly up to a 20 km search area, and strengthen the mapping plan before the next movement.

Generator reminder: Allow for the Yamaha 2.4 kVA generator on field days. At lighter loads it appears to run at roughly 0.67 litres per hour, so this extra use should still be part of the daily fuel check so the main reserves remain protected.

Reference points to plan ahead: Treat Borroloola as the key place to confirm who should be contacted next for public-land, community, ranger, and protected-area access before the final northern run.

Systems check: Confirm Starlink, the Mac mini, and the local LLM remain operational before leaving the area, record the connection quality and system speeds achieved so far on the trip, and confirm Basecamp login is available before departure.