Vertical farming has been around for a while, with around 200+ companies in operation producing mostly leafy greens and herbs in a controlled environment. With the rising cost of land, resources, and labor, vertical farms continue to rise in popularity due to their ability to use less water, shipping, and herbicides.
But vertical farms aren't the only modern agricultural concept. Researchers are now looking at creating vertical pollination centers for farmers. As in, farmers operating in a multilevel warehouse, boosting crop yields and reducing agriculture's harmful impacts on the environment.
Are they going to trap a bunch of bees, which are already at risk of disappearing, to do the pollinating? Yes and no.
Alexis Gajewski, senior editor at Plant Services, recently reported that MIT researchers are engineering robotic insects that can "swarm out of mechanical hives to rapidly perform precise pollination." While bee-inspired robots are nothing new, the researchers have upgraded previous prototypes to produce tiny, aerial robots that are more agile and durable than prior versions. The team claims that these redesigned robots:
- Can hover for approximately 1,000 seconds, 100 times longer than previous models
- Weigh less than a paperclip
- Offer increased speeds over other aerial robots
- Are able to carry tiny batteries or sensors
- Can perform complex aerial maneuvers like double flips
Fun Innovations Friday
Created by the editors of New Equipment Digest and Plant Services, Fun Innovations Friday is a feel-good blog that showcases how advances in science, math, engineering, and technology are making our world more whimsical. Here's another post that's guaranteed to brighten your day.
CES 2025: When AI Meets Daily Life
Step into a world where robots play chess, necklaces track emotions, and AI dolls tell bedtime stories—welcome to CES 2025.
