Here’s another human creation that would benefit our future machine overlord. I am not even kidding. What you see here is a giant robot bee from the German automation company Festo. When it comes to biomimicry, Festo is never a stranger. The company has developed countless robots inspired by nature, including a dragonfly, a flying fox, a seagull, a kangaroo, and more.
But the BionicBee, part of Bionic Learning, is unlike the others; it is the smallest yet and it swarms, allowing multiple robot bees to operate simultaneously and fully autonomously. Not going to lie, it sounds like a scary prospect. Thankfully, though, it does not carry a sting and I don’t believe it can carry any additional payload that would make it a threat, well, at least not yet.
Also, it is not bee-sized; it measures 22 cm (8.6 inches) long, has a wingspan of 24 cm (9.5 inches), and weighs just 34 grams (1.2 ounces) which allows it to pack a brushless motor, a trio of servos, a battery, a gear unit, communication modules, and control components.
With the ability to perform natural flight with four degrees of freedom, these bees can autonomously calculate their positions and optimize flight paths within a swarm using ultra-wideband technology, ensuring efficient, collision-free navigation.
You may learn more about this wonderful (and maybe a little worrying) development at Festo.com and in the video below.
Images: Festo.
via New Atlas.
