Who’d Have Thought Robotic Bee Swarms Could be so Captivating?

Over the years, Festo’s Bionic Learning Network has unveiled remarkable nature-inspired flying robots, but the autonomous BionicBee stands out as the smallest and the first capable of swarming.

Annually, Festo showcases its latest automation innovations at Hannover Messe, the premier industrial technology trade show, often revealing new nature-inspired robots for demonstration.

Festo’s Legacy of Bio-Inspired Robots

In the past, we’ve marveled at various creations, including soaring penguins, hopping kangaroos, dragonflies, a lightweight herring gull, a flying fox, a cuttlefish inspecting pipes, collaborative worker ants, and graceful butterflies that navigate without collisions. Now, we’re introduced to a swarm of robotic bees.

Despite being Festo’s smallest flying robot, the BionicBee’s dimensions, measuring 220 mm (8.6 in) in length with a wingspan of 240 mm (9.5 in), and weighing 34 g (1.2 oz), make it unsuitable for picnics due to its potential nuisance. However, it lacks a stinger.

Indoor Navigation and Coordinated Swarming

In controlled indoor environments like Festo’s labs, these bees navigate using signals from ultra-wideband anchors positioned across two levels, enabling them to maneuver safely. For coordinated swarming, a central computer dictates their flight path to ensure collision-free formation flight.

The BionicBees were developed using generative design, optimizing lightweight structures with minimal materials for maximum stability through a software application.

Miniaturized Tech Inside

Packed into the compact body are a brushless motor, three servos, a battery, a gear unit, communication technology, and control components. The wings oscillate at a frequency of 15 to 20 hertz, moving back and forth over a 180-degree arc. Servos adjust the wing geometry to control lift and direction.

Festo emphasizes the meticulous hand assembly of each bot, recognizing that even minor variations in construction can affect performance. To address this, an auto-calibration feature detects subtle hardware discrepancies during a brief test flight. An algorithm then fine-tunes flight characteristics to ensure uniformity among all bees, enabling safe swarming.

The swarm flight of the BionicBees was unveiled by Festo at Hannover Messe 2024 last week.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

Read more: Check Out this Video of an Agile Humanoid Robot