Now that the Greely Debate is Over... back to Bees!

Bees are the perfect 'canary in the coal mine' - they tell us clearly that we are doing ourselves in. Of course, being 'civilized' - we find a technical solution to what is actually a social problem. But read this below because it gives you a sense how big a deal this really is.

Developing Artificial Bees to Replace the Real Thing

As global bee populations decline, researchers at Manchester University are creating tiny, agile “microrobots” that can fly and jump like bees and spiders, and could potentially replace the real thing.

by:  RP Siegel Electronics & Test Sustainability, Electronics & Test May 18, 2018

 
 
 

“Smaller is stronger,” according to Dr. Mostafa Nabawy, an aerospace engineer at Manchester University. Nabawy has been exploring just how small a self-propelled flying machine can be. In his microsystems lab, Nabawy has built prototypes of artificial bees, weighing as little as 1.5 grams, including the battery. The goal is to make a robotic bee that can fly independently, under control, for an extended period of time.

Yes, it sounds like something straight out of an episode of Black Mirror. But according to United Nations reports, bee populations are declining globally due to a variety of factors including pesticide use, invasive species, diseases, and climate change. With recent declines in pollinator populations, artificial bees could offer a substitute as effective as living pollinators and will not succumb to chemical pesticides.

Manchester University researchers believe microbots that mimic  the behavior of bees could potentially take over for their real life  counterparts as global bee populations  dwindle. (Image source: University of Manchester)

“We started learning from flying insects, in terms of the aerodynamics of the wings, their shapes, how they move them, and how the different shapes generate forces,” Nabawy told Design News. “The problem with [wing] flapping at this tiny scale is that it is very energy-demanding, so power sources become a big problem for us.”

The Manchester University lab has conducted exhaustive studies on tiny actuators, including piezoelectric, DC motors, and other hybrid actuators. By testing the artificial bees by constraining them in space and measuring forces, Nabawy found that the actuator could provide enough force to move the wings, and the battery enough energy to keep it operating for up to five minutes.

https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/developing-artificial-bees-replace-real-thing/90175855858781?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=4331&elq_cid=143564