Japanese scientists create drone bees that pollinate flowers

The bees are dying and that is worrying the entire scientific community, which is trying to find alternative solutions, such as that of Japanese scientists, who have developed a drone capable of pollinating flowers as bees do.

Bees are dying at an alarming rate

Why the bee population is decreasing at a frantic rate is something that scientists cannot explain. In 1988 there were about 5 million honeycombs in the United States, during 2015 the number of honeycombs had decreased to 2.5 million. These same statistics are repeated throughout the world and not because of a lack of attempt or desire on the part of beekeepers, bees simply die.

Most of you who have watched the sixth episode of the third season of Black Mirror don't have to worry because these robotic bees are not that advanced, yet.

The team, part of Japan's Advanced Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), says that what has motivated them to develop the drone is to imagine the catastrophic consequences of the disappearance of these insects for the ecosystem.

The Japanese AIST team, led by chemist Eijiro Miyako, intends to design swarms of drones that can pollinate flowers. The idea is to help bees in this task, not replace them.

The pollination of flowers influences one of every three foods consumed by humans, if these disappeared, it would be very harmful to all beings that depend on them, including us, causing lack of food and famine in many countries of the world.

The next step for Japanese scientists is to create artificial intelligence that allows these bouncing bees to fly by themselves and pollinate, a challenge that will not be easy at all.