SCIENTISTS are creating a buzz after revealing a giant robotic bee that can fly in a swarm.
The so-called BionicBee measures 22cm long and weighs less than a typical slice of bread.
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And it can even fly autonomously in a group.
The creators of Festo’s Bionic Learning Network have already created robots inspired by ants, kangaroos and even an octopus pincer.
This approach allows our robotic bees to move as a cohesive group, just like their biological counterparts.
Denis Mugrauer
But the BionicBee is the smallest flying object yet.
Inside comes a flapping wing mechanism, along with a kit for communicating with a central computer and components for the flapping wings to imitate the way bees navigate.
Denis Mugrauer from Festo said Direct Industry that each bee has an internal GPS system so that it can determine its position within a 3D space and share details with other robot bees in the swarm.
“This communication between bees is crucial to replicating the complex and coordinated behavior observed in natural swarms,” he explained.
“Using real-time positioning data, our system predicts the ideal flight path for each bee to maintain swarm formation and avoid collisions.
“This approach allows our robotic bees to move as a cohesive group, just like their biological counterparts.”
The project took two years to develop.
But don’t be afraid of a swarm of robot bees flying around soon.
The device is just a prototype at the moment and there doesn’t appear to be an immediate use case in mind either.
Mugrauer said such ideas function as “a form of brainstorming” and that over time they will “determine how these concepts can be integrated into real-world applications.”
What is the bot?
We’ve seen a lot of crazy robotic ideas over the years – but not all of them take off.
One of the biggest names in the world of robots is Boston Dynamics, which was previously owned by Google.
This is the same company that shocked the world with its robotic dog.
Earlier this month, the group unveiled a new all-electric humanoid robot, days after retiring its old Atlas bot.
The new iteration is said to have an improved range of motion than its older brother.
With the huge rise in AI, we can only hope for more intelligent bots to come.
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