Japanese scientists have developed drones capable of pollinating flowers in place of bees. This would be a solution if the bees are led to die out one day. Bees are an endangered species. From year to year, their number is decreasing. The problem is that bees are essential to the pollination of flowers and that their extinction is also a problem for humans.
That is why a team of Japanese scientists have created a drone capable of helping bees to accomplish their tasks. They applied horsehair under a mini drone and induced it of ionic gel. Thanks to this gel, the drones are able to capture the pollen and go to deposit it from flower to flower.
The study was conducted on Japanese lilies pink and white which are a variety of flowers difficult to pollinate. According to Eijiro Miyako, this is the first time a drone succeeds in pollinating a flower. However, the study remains experimental and it is not the best solution to the problem of bees. For this experiment to be replicated on a larger scale it would be necessary to equip the drone of a high resolution camera, a GPS and an artificial intelligence which is complex given the small size of the drone.
The Japanese are not alone in studying the issue of pollination of flowers. Google or Harvard University are also conducting parallel studies.
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