Drone Pollinator Created To Help The Declined Population Of Bees To Pollinate Flowers
Japanese researchers have recently created insect-size drones that help the honeybees to pollinate plants. As the administration of President Donald Trump delays the listing of a bee species in the U.S.
Bees are dying globally and everyone is alarmed by the fact. According to The Bee Informed Partnership, the diminishing of pollinators and bee colonies high mortality rates are now a major concern worldwide and in the U.S. the rapidly declined population of the bees is greatly caused by climate change, diseases, or pesticides.
The Verge has reported that back in 2016, the United States declared that there are 7 species of Hawaiian bees are endangered. So, the Japanese Researchers in National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, have looked into a sticky liquid gel to pollinate flowers. In making a pollinator, they ordered over $100 drones from Amazon, researchers added some horsehair painted on the gels and to their undersides.
After making the pollinator, the drones were ready to take and release pollen grains. As per Eijiro Miyako, the project leader of the research stated that it is the first time that a drone has pollinated a flower. Though it is obvious that a drone pollinator will not be enough to replace the work of bees, but it is a great technology for nature and alternative as the populations decline, Gizmodo reported.
The work of a drone isn't close enough to the vital works of the bees or in some area in China, who uses their hands to pollinate a flower by brushing. "It is impossible to replace the bees with a manual drone," Eijiro Miyako stated and claimed that targeting a drone is challenging.
The drone is need of improvements to pollinate flowers. Improvements in artificial intelligence, GPS, and high-resolution cameras are needed but it's a bit challenging and the inclusion on a small airborne robot drone. But Miyako said that the drone is feasible, the honeybee colonies have declined over 44% in 2015 and in 2016.
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