About two-thirds of the crops that feed the world rely on pollination by bees and other insects. Without them, we’d be looking at an agricultural doomsday scenario. And this is exactly what a University of Maryland professor wants to avoid – with the help of an army of tiny drones.

Yiannis Aloimonos is developing RoboBeeHive, an artificial beehive that would house a bunch of small drones within a bigger, arm-length drone. This beehive will be able to attach itself to a tree, opening up to unleash a swarm of tiny drones.

According to a statement by the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies:

The drones use artificial intelligence to autonomously navigate and avoid obstructions — animals, trees, or other drones busy spreading pollen — as they carry pollen between plants that stick to simulated bee fur. And if the weather takes a turn for the worse, a message from the “hive” calls them back.

With two onboard cameras providing 360-degree vision, these pollination drones can also be used for tasks other than pollinating crops. For example, inspecting bridges to spot cracks and other problems, or assisting in search-and-rescue operations by self-navigating through rubble and broken windows to find trapped people.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here