Discover how drone bees are being used to artificially pollinate plants, ensuring agriculture thrives even after bee extinction.
As the global population of natural pollinators, like bees, continues to decline due to environmental factors such as pesticide use and habitat loss, researchers and technologists are increasingly turning to innovative solutions. One such solution? Drone bees. These high-tech devices are designed to mimic the behavior and function of natural bees, stepping in to pollinate crops and plants where real bees may be scarce. Equipped with tiny sensors and artificial intelligence, drone bees can fly between flowers, collect pollen, and transfer it from plant to plant, all while working in harmony with agricultural needs. With the capacity to work in environments where traditional pollinators are struggling, these robotic bees could play a crucial role in sustaining food production worldwide.
While the idea of drone bees may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, the reality is that technology is rapidly advancing in this field. Scientists are developing drones small enough to navigate between blossoms yet powerful enough to cover large agricultural areas. As concerns over pollinator decline intensify, drone bees could help fill the critical gap in pollination services, reducing the strain on natural ecosystems. However, the use of drone bees also raises important ethical and environmental questions about their long-term impact and the need to balance technological innovation with the preservation of natural biodiversity. Will these artificial pollinators complement or ultimately replace the vital role played by real bees? Only time—and further technological development—will tell.
Bees have already made it to the list of endangered species and if the bees go extinct; so will the humans. The bee population of the world is on a drastic decline, and the world is not unaware. Scientists are working to develop ways to not only save these bees but also to create the means to pollinate the plants in case they get extinct. One such attempt was the creation of an artificially pollinating drone by engineers at National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan.
Anna Haldewang, the industrial designer at the Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design, has created a drone named ‘Plan Bee,’ controlled by a smart device to pollinate bees artificially. About 90% of wild plants depend on bees for pollination whereas others like ferns and mosses depend on spores for reproduction.
The drone striped yellow and black mimics the image of a bee. The final prototype that is shaped like a flower was created after 50 different design variations. It is made of plastic on the outside and foam on the inside. The current version of the ‘plan bee’ is the size of a fist.
The six sections of the drone body have holes underneath that suck up pollen when the drone approaches a flower, just like a vacuum cleaner. When it goes to another flower, the top vents of the drone push air through the holes, thus, releasing the pollen onto the flower. A camera underneath the drone uses ultra-violet light to detect flowers. Thus, replicating the vision of a bee.
The designer envisions the drone to be used at a global scale. She believes,
“this concept has the ability to move beyond a backyard and into the future of hydroponics and space.”
The aim of the project is not to replace bees but to raise awareness about the decline of the bee population that has been sped up by the use of pesticides and chemicals.
Apart from pollinating the plants, plan bee can even be used for educational purposes like teaching the process of pollination.
“With an actual bee, it’s so small you don’t notice it and how it’s pollinating flowers. With the drone you can see how the process works,” says Haldewang.
Haldewang has already filed a patent for her design, and she hopes to develop it as a product in the next two years. It is regretful that instead of saving the natural bees, we have already started looking for their replacements. But this perhaps is the need for the future.
This bee drone is a robotic flower pollinator
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