Robot Bees Take Wing
Posted on August 10th, 2018 by Mary Lord
Without bees to pollinate flowers, there would be no fruit to harvest. As bee deaths outpace the hives’ ability to regenerate — in 2016, the United States lost 44 percent of all honeybee colonies — farmers have turned to researchers for help. One partial solution already is in the works: an insect-sized drone capable of artificial pollination.
Image ©Savannah School of Art and Design
Filed under: Special Features | Comments Off on Robot Bees Take Wing
Tags: Agricultural Engineering, bees, colony collapse, drone, Eijiro Miyako, Japan National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, NPR, pollinator, Robotics
Bees are among North America’s most important agricultural asset, increasing yields in roughly three-quarters of our crops. But as researchers funded by the National Science Foundation are learning, plants need a diversity of pollinators – and everyday gardeners can help.
