Nanobees Hold The Key To Saving Food Supply

Are you aware that one third of human food production depends on bee pollination? A science fiction film was recently produced to increase awareness of the role of bees in our survival and to report that their numbers have declined in recent days. The video states that the bees could become extinct soon if action is not taken. The film presents the Robobee as an option to rescue the bees; however, this solution is impractical in reality. There is a more realistic development in nanorobotics. Nanoparticles have been used in cancer treatment, and similar techniques may be researched for food supply, thereby reducing potential losses.

The staff working on Nanobees technology set clear objectives. They expect that nature-inspired research will improve understanding of how to mimic the intelligence and collective behaviour of a bee colony. They also plan to develop new methods for designing and constructing an electronic surrogate nervous system that is capable of recognising different environments and adapting accordingly. Part of their objective is to promote the construction of small, flying motorised devices.

The scientists expect the devices to facilitate a range of discoveries and practical innovations. They predict that these findings will be applicable in entomology, developmental biology, electrical engineering and amorphous computing. The team plans, in collaboration with the Museum of Science in Boston, to develop an interactive exhibition to educate and motivate future engineers and scientists.

Body, Brain and Colony

The team will investigate methods to emulate aerobic performance in the devices. They aim to ensure that the devices are of comparable size to real bees and that they incorporate key characteristics of real bees. To achieve autonomous flight, compressed high-energy power sources and associated electronics must be integrated into the machine’s body.

Creating artificial sensors that operate as a brain and resemble the eyes and antennae of bees is one of the most intricate challenges in the research. The team must develop both hardware and software that serve as the brain of the Nanobees. The system will perform functions such as flight control and monitoring, coordination, decision making and object detection, including the detection of other devices.

It is necessary to replicate the actual behaviour of a bee colony. This task requires the development of specific communication methods and coordination algorithms. The devices must demonstrate the ability to communicate with each other and to move between hives. Therefore, local and global programming is required as a simulation tool to enable exploration, food foraging and planning corresponding to observed patterns in real bee colonies.