As you navigate through life, you’re likely aware that the insect world is facing a precarious situation: populations are dwindling and extinctions are on the rise.
Over the past three years, the global biomass of flying insects has declined precipitously by approximately. Among the many developments’ most notable victims is the world’s most vital pollinator, the honey bee. According to records, the United States experienced a staggering number of fatalities in 2023, ranking as the second deadliest period on record within the country’s history, marked by a 12-month span. The alarming decline in bee populations has been attributed, in part, to the mysterious phenomenon of colony collapse disorder, which has led to the unexpected vanishing of entire colonies of bees. While European nations record a decline in colonial losses, concerns about the persistence of these issues remain.
This decline leads to widespread under-pollination of critical meal crops, posing a significant threat to our societal well-being.
Can a swarm of robotic bees really replace real ones and save our crops from impending doom? Not so fast.
So, what could be completed? Given, proposals generally embrace a shift towards much less pesticide-intensive, increasingly sustainable forms of agriculture.
As concerns about colony collapse and dwindling populations intensify, some researchers speculate that it may be possible to replace declining honeybee populations with their robotic counterparts. Synthetic bees could collaborate with flowers to maintain pollination services even as native pollinator populations continue to dwindle. The imaginative vision behind synthetic pollinators has led to innovative designs for.
While novel ideas may seem deceptively straightforward to implement, their feasibility in reality is often vastly overstated, particularly when it comes to revitalizing endangered bee populations, whose precarious existence renders even the most promising innovations a distant hope. Initially, synthetic pollinators require outfitting with capabilities that extend far beyond mere flight capabilities. Every day, bees undertake a wide range of tasks that involve searching for vegetation, identifying flowers, discreetly interacting with them, locating energy sources, evading potential predators, and adapting to challenging climatic conditions. With utmost precision, robots operating in uncharted territories must guarantee an exceptionally high level of dependability, as any malfunctioning or lost device can result in harm and environmental contamination? Whether our current technological capabilities are sufficient to bring these innovations to life remains uncertain. The potential ecological benefits of a robotic swarm far surpassing those of a solitary honeybee colony’s pollination efforts are virtually impossible to quantify, let alone account for in any meaningful manner?
Inside a wise hive
Rather than attempting to replace honeybees with robots, two new projects funded by the European Union demonstrate that robots and honeybees can work together effectively. As a last resort, could failing honeybee colonies be revitalized by merging their biological strengths with cutting-edge technology, forming hybrid entities that leverage both organic and synthetic capabilities? As a result, the colonies’ inhabitants can potentially experience increased progress as a greater number of bees survive harsh winters and contribute additional foragers to pollinate surrounding ecosystems.
Researchers investigate how complex decentralized decision-making processes in honeybee colonies might be influenced by digital insights. Launched in 2019 with a projected completion date of March 2024, this innovative experiment involves integrating specialized knowledge into three apiaries, each comprising 4,000 bees – a significant reduction from the typical 40,000 bee population found in conventional colonies.
Within their intricate hive, the honeybees boast advanced infrastructure, featuring built-in temperature sensors and heating mechanisms that enable them to maintain optimal conditions within their communal dwelling. Given that bees tend to congregate in warmer regions, the comb structure allows us to guide them towards various parts of the hive. Notwithstanding already robust management strategies, these hives are further enhanced by sophisticated digital gateways that scrutinize every insect’s movement and activity in meticulous detail. While various scientific disciplines facilitate understanding where bees store honey and pollen, they also empower us to clear the combs when bees depart, thereby enabling honey harvesting. Lastly, the exemplary honeycomb features an innovative robotic dancing bee capable of guiding foraging bees towards lush vegetation in need of pollination.
Due to the experiment’s limited scope, it is premature to draw far-reaching inferences about the potential impact of our conservation efforts on mitigating bee population declines. Despite our current circumstances, it is clear that the progress made thus far offers grounds for optimism. Our superior beehive designs enable colonies to thrive through harsh winters, exceeding expectations by allowing them to survive conditions that would otherwise be insurmountable. Estimating the precise impact of these technologies on bee populations necessitates scaling up the study to numerous colonies?
Pampering the queen bee
Within our second EU-funded endeavour, RoboRoyale, we explore the intricate dynamics between the honeybee queen and her court, as robots seamlessly integrate into their realm, engaging in constant observation and interaction with Her Majesty.
By 2024, our innovative approach will involve deploying small-scale robotics technology within each hive, consisting of six miniature robots designed specifically for the grooming and feeding needs of the honeybee queen. This precise intervention is anticipated to positively impact the diversity of eggs laid by the queen. Some robots are equipped with royal jelly micro-pumps that provide nutrition for the queen, while others feature compliant micro-actuators designed to meticulously groom her majesty. The robots will be linked to a larger robotic arm equipped with infrared cameras, continuously monitoring the queen and her surroundings.
With the image serving as evidence, our team has successfully integrated a robotic arm into a residential habitat. The highly attuned servant consistently tracked the queen’s movements, deducing her location through subtle cues and gentle prompts.
Emulating the employee bees
As envisioned for the second section, the bee-sized robots and their accompanying robotic arm are expected to mimic the actions of the dedicated female worker bees that care for the queen, sans the reproductive capabilities, by tending to her and providing sustenance in the form of royal jelly. Rich in water, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, essential vitamins, and minerals, this nutrient-rich substance, produced by the glands of worker bees, enables the queen to lay up to thousands of eggs daily.
In addition to their laborious work, employee bees also play a crucial role in maintaining the queen’s health by engaging in a unique form of grooming, which involves them licking and cleaning her body. As these individuals move throughout the hive, they collect and disseminate various pheromones emitted by the queen, allowing for crucial chemical communication across the colony. The release of specific pheromones by ants exercises considerable influence over various aspects of their colony’s behavior, effectively serving as a vital notification system alerting the colony to the presence of its reigning monarch, the queen. Upon the passing of the reigning monarch, a succession crisis would ensue, necessitating the rapid hatching and maturation of a newly laid egg from the deceased queen, thereby creating a narrow timeframe for the colony to respond.
It is widely accepted that employee bees are capable of acting as surrogates for the queen, guiding her to lay eggs specifically in predetermined comb cells. The size of those cells determines whether the queen will lay a diploid or haploid egg, which in turn decides whether the developing bee grows into either a drone (male) or worker (female) bee. Assuming these guiding duties may have a detrimental impact on the population’s overall reproductive success rate?
Robots may help mitigate bee cannibalism by monitoring and managing colonies.
By curbing consumption of endangered species, we may inadvertently prevent the practice of cannibalism within their populations.
During extended periods of heavy rainfall, bees are forced to adapt to limited pollen intake over prolonged durations. This necessitates them to provision younger larvae to more mature individuals, thereby ensuring that at least some of the older ones have a chance to survive longer. By RoboRoyale, we will not only aim to reduce the likelihood of such behavior occurring, but also quantify its frequency under typical circumstances.
By deploying robots within honeybee colonies, we will gain a more profound comprehension of the intricate regulatory mechanisms at play, facilitated by innovative and groundbreaking research methodologies. The findings from these novel analysis pathways are crucial for safeguarding the well-being of these vital social insects, ensuring timely and sufficient pollination that is essential for food security.
The outcome of our collaboration with The Dialog, a leading EU analysis and innovation journal.
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