The extinction of bees and other pollinators poses a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide: researchers at ‘Tampere University‘ may have solved this problem for the future, thanks to artificial pollinators, or passively flying robots with synthetic muscle. They have created a tiny polymer-assembly “fairy robot”, powered by light, that flies by the wind: the project is called FAIRY, which stands for ‘Flying Aero-robots based on Light Responsive Materials Assembly.’
The tiny structure can be modified by light and the fairy may manually modify its shape to match wind force and direction: takeoff and landing movements can also be managed by a light source like a laser beam or LED. Long-distance wind-assisted transport is made possible by a stable separated vortex ring production in the robot. The Tampere University researchers believe that, in the future, millions of artificial pollinators will be able to disperse pollen by natural wind and direct light into particular areas where trees and plants need pollination. The structure will also be expanded in order to transport biological molecules as well as tiny electronics such as GPS and sensors. Read more on the university’s press release
