Robot bees could support hive health and improve pollination one day

RoboRoyale's first priority is grooming the queen bees responsible for a colony's reproductive success.

This specially designed micro-robotic system would operate in close proximity to the queen. For example, the robot would take the place of court bees, who perform tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and pheromone production for the queen.

"Through a combination of machine learning, behavioral modeling, and advanced control methods, our system will gradually learn how to groom the queen in order to regulate her egg-laying activity and pheromone production to optimize the hive's macroscopic variables (e.g., brood production) in a scientifically and ecologically informed way," explains RoboRoyale's website. 

This project is still in its early stages. According to reports, researchers are likely to start the testing process within the next few months. In this attempt, they will place eight robot court bees in a glass-encased hive to study the environment closely. Other research institutes, including Harvard University's Wyss Institute, have been working on this concept as well. They are developing RoboBees to aid agriculture.

With the growing environmental crisis, it is critical to focus conservation efforts on honeybees and put them into action.

Honeybees are tiny creatures that provide enormous benefits. They are essential for pollination and the stability of the ecosystem. Not only that, but they also contribute to food security and nutrition. 

Bees and other pollinators have been declining in abundance in recent years as a result of urbanization, parasites, pests, pathogens, and pesticides. All of these factors have contributed to the world's bee population decline. This sharp decline in bee populations may endanger global agriculture.

If RoboRoyale is successful, the team hopes that this non-invasive technology could be used to improve the health of other ecosystems and creatures.