If you asked pretty much anyone what the solution to the disappearance of bees would be, throwing some robotic replacements in the mix would probably be their last answer. Nonetheless, Beewise, a company “dedicated to saving bees” has been researching the application of robotics to alleviate this crisis. Before we dive in, there’s a couple of things you should know.

Why are bees disappearing?

Climate Change

Bees are genetically designed to exist in certain habitats, where they pollinate, produce, and propagate a wide variety of plants, especially food crops. When climate change shifts the temperatures of a region, the bees are pushed out of their natural habitats and, with nowhere else to go, they simply die out.

Habitat Destruction

Habitat destruction is the primary threat to wildlife in the United States. This is when an area containing all of the resources an organism needs to survive begins to be so degraded that the basic necessities that this organism requires no longer exist, leading to an inability to reproduce or just starving the inhabitants out. Bees typically live in grasslands, which face rampant destruction as they are often cleared out in order to make room from agricultural industries.

Air Pollution

Air pollution poses a major threat to bees. With heavy air pollution, bees lack the ability to smell plants from even short distances, making it difficult for them to find food as well as pollinate other plants. Pesticides, wildfires, and natural gas combustion are all major contributors to air pollution.

Why are bees so important?

Bees are the drivers of many major agricultural industries. When bees pick up pollen, and transport it to other plants, they facilitate the reproduction of these plants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that nearly 35% of the world’s food crops are pollinated by bees. Simply put, bees are necessary for the production of a massive portion of the world’s food. Without bees, humanity’s survival would be extremely difficult.

So why use robots?

Beewise’s model is simple. They aim to use technology to facilitate better care for bees. With artificial intelligence and computer vision, bees’ needs are identified in real time where robots can be deployed immediately to assist them. 

“We are not changing how beekeeping is done,” Beewise explains. “Instead, we enable it to be performed in real-time, so it’s as if every bee had her own beekeeper-24/7, rain or shine.” 

This allows bees to live healthier lives in which pollination is essentially optimized, increasing the amount of crops that can be grown in a given period of time. They have even gone as far as to develop artificial beehives called “BeeHomes.” These BeeHomes are powered completely by renewable energy: bye-bye, unsustainable cultivation. In addition, these BeeHomes include thermo-regulatory capabilities, comfortable bee entrances that promote efficient production, and robot mechanisms such as honey harvesters and compartment shifters. Artificial intelligence within these can stop swarms with their “autonomous swarm prevention” technology, and can also monitor the hive for pests that can be dispatched upon recognition.

Beewise aims for zero hunger, sustainable development, economic growth, and waste reduction.

What does this mean for the future?

In a world of environmental degradation and the possibility of global extinction, the combination of nature and technology presents a promising path toward sustainable living, with companies like Beewise leading the charge to protect our agricultural systems with brilliant innovation.