We’ve heard of robots collaborating on tasks by communicating with one another across wireless networks. However, such networks aren’t always an option. Instead, the honeybee waggle dance has inspired researchers to make robots that bust a move on the dance floor.
Since honeybees cannot speak, they frequently communicate with one another by moving their bodies. For example, a forager bee can use a pattern of movements known as a “waggle dance” to let other bees know the exact location of a food source. While the duration of the dance reflects how far away the food is from the hive, the direction of the motions corresponds to the food’s orientation in relation to the hive and the sun.
A Robot That Understands Physical Gestures
An international group of researchers was inspired by this non-verbal communication and set out to see whether people and robots could use a similar system in disaster-stricken areas where wireless networks aren’t available.
In the proof-of-concept system, the researchers developed, a user begins by making arm movements to a Turtlebot “messenger robot” with a camera. Next, that bot can decipher the coded gestures, which convey the location of a package inside the room, using skeletal tracking algorithms. Next, the “package handling robot” is approached by the wheeled messenger bot, which rolls around to trace a specific pattern on the floor.
The orientation of the dancing pattern determines the direction in which the package is positioned, and the distance it will have to go is calculated based on how long it takes to trace the pattern, as the package handling robot monitors with its own depth-sensing camera. When it arrives at its destination, it uses its object recognition system to find the package after traveling in the indicated direction for the specified period.
In testing conducted thus far, both robots have roughly 93% correctly decoded (and responded to) the gestures and natural dances. Professor Abhra Roy Chowdhury of the Indian Institute of Science and Ph.D. candidate Kaustubh Joshi of the University of Maryland led the study. A recent article in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI publication describes it in detail.
Saving Honeybees With Robotic Waggle Dance
The honeybee waggle dance is a fascinating communication method used by bees to share information about food sources and other important resources. Now, researchers have developed robotic honeybees that can simulate this dance, providing valuable data on how bees exchange information during this process. Several recent projects are using innovative robotic technology to save and protect honeybees, essential for food production.
Robotics inspired by the honeybee waggle dance allow bees and robots to communicate in disaster zones without wire networks, while the Hiveopolis project utilizes robotic honeybees to collect data about the behavior of healthy bee colonies, offering an early-warning system in declining populations. Start-ups are also developing smart hives for beekeepers to monitor hive activity efficiently, and the RoboBee replicates the waggle dance, with its accuracy potentially offering solutions to colony collapse disorder. These projects are innovative solutions to tackle the decline in bee populations, thereby preserving food production and the environment.
Hiveopolis
Today, a new project called “Hiveopolis” has been launched in an attempt to save honeybees and other pollinating insects from destruction. This innovative idea combines modern robotic technology with traditional beekeeping methods to help protect the well-being of these vital creatures. At its core is a real robotic honeybee, whose only task is to simulate the iconic ‘honeybee waggle dance,’ thought to be the main form of communication between bees in a hive.
Developed by researchers led by Scarlett Evans, this robotic device was created as a way to measure how bees intensively exchange information during their waggle dances. By interpreting the data it collects, scientists can draw conclusions about how a healthy bee colony should behave, which can then be used to diagnose behaviors that are not normal. This information could then potentially be used as an early-warning system for declining bee populations. In addition, it could also identify potential threats such as pesticide contamination and possible solutions to keep our beloved biodiversity safe.
Smart Hives
Sandra Evans is the founder of bee tech startup Arnia, a company that is building smart hives to help farmers better manage their honeybee colonies. The idea behind the business came from observing Melissa Mckinney, an American beekeeper who converted her hobby farm into a fully functioning research laboratory, looking at other ways of taking care of bees in an intensive, sustainable way. Drawing on her experience and expertise, Sandra created Arnia to revolutionize the way we interact with our pollinators.
Arnia focuses on advanced methods of tracking, monitoring, and analyzing colonies in order to maximize productivity and resilience for producers. Their system uses RFID tags, sensors, and satellite imagery to track movements in real-time, giving them a detailed insight into hive activity which can be used to make more efficient decisions about colony management. Through this data-driven approach to beekeeping, they hope to usher in a new era of sustainable farming practices that will benefit everyone, from consumers all the way up to large agricultural operations.
RoboBee
RoboBee is a revolutionary robot designed to interact with bees and dampen the disastrous effects of colony collapse disorder. The robot replicates the waggle dance and can spin itself in an arc while vibrating, which indicates direction and distance when it comes to finding food sources. Bee colonies naturally rely on these waggle dances, but RoboBee has opened up new possibilities by making this type of bee-to-bee communication more reliable.
By taking the guesswork out of bee navigation, RoboBee lets bee farmers know precisely where their bees are headed. This could mean fewer disoriented honeybees and fewer resources wasted due to inaccurate directions. In turn, this efficiency boosts the chances for their productivity and, thus, their overall viability as a species. Researchers are still testing how much insight RoboBee can provide into true bee behavior, but so far, the results have been promising. With its help, we can create potential solutions for mitigating colony collapse disorder and ensure a healthier future for our planet’s vulnerable pollinators.
Conclusion
Innovative technology inspired by honeybees is offering hope for the preservation of food production and the environment. Communication systems inspired by the honeybee waggle dance are providing solutions to communicate in disaster zones without wire networks. Robotic waggle dances are also being used to collect data about the behavior of healthy bee colonies, offering an early-warning system in declining populations. Smart hives for beekeepers and the RoboBee, which replicates the waggle dance, are also being developed, offering potential solutions to colony collapse disorder. Through innovative solutions and sustainable farming practices, we can create a healthier future for our planet’s vulnerable pollinators.
