Robotic pollinators resemble oversized bees equipped with wheels and an arm. This technological innovation is designed to address the pressing issue of natural pollinator scarcity, such as that of bees, which poses a significant challenge to global food production.
Their immediate purpose is to perform the repetitive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive tasks of flower inspection, mapping, pollination, and development tracking, freeing up farmers to concentrate on planting, irrigation, and pest control.
For the long term, the robotic pollinator aims to care for individual crops with optimized efficiency, ensure food production during periods of insect decline, and provide value-added services such as crop data tracking.
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By operating 24/7, robotic pollinators offer greater efficiency than humans, reducing labor costs and enhancing food yields. They can work continuously, day and night, even in harsh conditions.
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Natural pollinators, irrespective of their cost-effectiveness and efficiency, can spread viruses. Traditional farming often employs commercially produced bees as natural pollinators. These bees carry the risk of escaping controlled greenhouse settings and infecting wild bee populations, potentially exacerbating an already critical issue: the declining insect population, which is driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, and pesticide use.
Robotic pollinators can help stop these infections from spreading.
