Current Events #5 (MP2 #1)

     Insects, whether you love them or hate them, are an important part of the ecosystem. An example is the bumblebee, an insect important in the pollination of plants. Without the bumblebee plants that reproduce through the spread of pollen would drop in population and animals that rely on these plants as a food source would also drop in population. Animals that rely on these plant eating animals would start dying and a chain reaction is set throughout the entire ecosystem. It is scary to think what could happen if bumblebees dyed out but it might become the sad reality due to climate change and harmful farming practices.

The Delfly

     So what do we do in the face of dying insect populations? A group of scientists from Delft University turn to robotics. Recently this group has developed the DelFly, bee-like drones meant to be used for pollination as their organic counterparts go extinct. Through the use of spacial sensors the DelFly knows where to fly, avoiding obstacles and traveling from plant to plant. It replicates wing motions and aerodynamics of the fruit fly and is able to beat its wings 17 times a second. It is also very efficient; through the use of helicopter-esque blades for wings the DelFly can reach speeds up to 15 mph and do 360° flips all while being able to extend it's battery life through the use of these wings. The DelFly, as impressive as it is, has its limitations. While being able to emulate the flight of a fruit fly it certainly doesn't emulate its size, being 33 cm or 55 times larger than the average fruit fly. The Delfly's efficiency being able to extend the life of its battery can only do as good as extending it to 6 minutes. The researchers say as they develop this robot their goal is to shrink it to the size of insects, however, it will be a decade before it happens. In the meantime the EU seeks to regulate farming practices that may be a contributor to the decline of bees. Thiamethoxam, a chemical found in many pesticides, is said to reduce the amount of eggs laid by bees. By the end of 2018 the EU will restrict its use to greenhouses.
     My personal reflections are technology is being used to solve problems facing the entire globe. If bumblebees were to die out many ecosystems around the world would collapse and potentially more animals and plants could go extinct. However, in this article we see that technology has been utilized to prevent widespread collapses if these insects do die out. While not capable of what it is meant to do yet it is heading towards that direction and in the future we will have a viable solution to the problem. In addition to this, this article points out that global warming is a problem that must be dealt with immediate action. While it is nice that we may have a replacement for bees if they die out we should focus on saving them all together. The solution to replace bees with robots should be a last resort and in reading this article a scary vision of the future emerges where nature, once ruled by the living creatures of Earth, is put on life support through the assistance on non-organic robots. If we have the capability to replicate an insect surely we should have the capabilities to deal with global warming through technology. 

Works Cited:

Boffey, Daniel "Robot bees could pollinate plants in case of insect apocalypse" 16 Oct 2018. Web 18 Oct 2018

<https://newsela.com/read/robotic-bees-can-pollinate/id/46711/>