Could swarms of robotic bees pollinate vast areas of vegetation? This is already being analyzed in the laboratory.
Over the last few years we have been able to witness the birth of multiple robotic units. The improvement of technology has allowed us to carry out all kinds of projects and with different purposes. The key has always been to enjoy a series of innovations based on competitiveness and the absence of a large number of rivals. The market is changing, so achieving quality products has become a premise to lead the industry in the future.
Today we want to show you how a bee-shaped robot could help offer a service that has been under threat for years. Pollination is essential for the planet and these insects are the base of the chain for the vegetation to spread throughout an area. The indiscriminate use of pesticides has ended with a good part of copies all over the world, so these metal ‘insects’ could contribute to cushion this drop in numbers.
Let’s see, therefore, which are the most interesting characteristics of this particular model, because Bee++, which is what it is called, could have great potential in the robotics industry in the future and, of course, what is its composition to create resistant flying units with sufficient autonomy to perform the function for which they have been created.
An army of robot bees to fulfill the function that would correspond to these insects
A team of researchers from Washington State University (WSU) has created this curious robot that you have seen in the previous image. It is a model that is produced on the basis of carbon fiber. Thanks to the use of this material, it is possible to guarantee its flight, since it is a very light material. Now, why has so much effort been put into this very particular robotic unit? The key is in the configuration of its reduced body.
The objective is to produce swarms in the future to contribute to pollination of areas where there is not a high density of vegetation. In the same way, it is expected that the addition of a camera can be used to contribute to rescue missions or, simply, as a means of monitoring a certain area. Due to its size, it is capable of going completely unnoticed in an environment, being able to carry out its task without causing significant damage to ecosystems.
It has 6 degrees of freedom of movement, an alternative that is at the highest technological level in drones. Work has been done, mainly, on movements capable of imitating those of a bee to be able to trace flights with all kinds of angles. It only weighs a total of 95mg and It has a wingspan of only 33 mm. These are essential factors to guarantee your freedom of movement and, of course, your great ability to move through the air with complete autonomy.
The objective is that in the coming months this type of work can be carried out to reduce the impact of the loss of bees. Is about one of the most important animals in the field of ecosystems, since its work cannot be copied by any other animal with the same result. Recently, it has been discovered that frogs are good at pollinating but their records do not come close to what bees have achieved.