Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators

Rise Of The Robot Bees: Tiny Drones Turned Into Artificial Pollinators Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Dr. Eijiro Miyako Courtesy of Dr. Eijiro Miyako Near Esparto, in the beautiful Capay Valley region of central California, 1,400 young almond trees flourish in a century-old orchard overlooking the hills. Eijiro Miyako, a researcher at Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, has designed what he believes could one day be a partial solution: an insect-sized drone capable of artificial pollination. Sponsor Message "The continued adhesiveness and non-volatility of the ionic liquid gel was exciting," says Miyako. Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Dr. Eijiro Miyako Courtesy of Dr. Eijiro Miyako The team first tested the biocompatibility and eco-friendliness of the gel against ants and cells from mice, and found that it had no harmful effects after three days.