SCIENTISTS are creating a buzz after unveiling 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.
And it can even fly autonomously in a group.
Creators from Festo’s Bionic Learning Network have previously created robots inspired by ants, kangaroos, and even an octopus gripper.
This approach enables our robotic bees to move as a cohesive group, much like their biological counterparts
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But the BionicBee is their smallest flying object yet.
Inside it packs a beating wing mechanism, alongside kit to communicate with a central computer and components for the wings to flap mimicking the way bees navigate.
Festo's Denis Mugrauer told Direct Industry that each bee has a GPS system inside so it can work out its position within a 3D space and share details with other robot bees in the swarm.
"This communication among the bees is crucial for replicating the complex, coordinated behaviour observed in natural swarms," he explained.
"Using real-time positioning data, our system predicts the optimal flight path for each bee to maintain swarm formation and avoid collisions.
"This approach enables our robotic bees to move as a cohesive group, much like their biological counterparts."
The project took two years to develop.
But don't fear about a swarm of robot bees flying overheard anytime soon.
The device is just a prototype for the moment and there doesn't appear to be an immediate use case in mind either.
Mugrauer said such ideas act as "a form of brainstorming" and that over time they will "determine how these concepts can be integrated into real-world applications".
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