industrial designer anna haldewang has created a bee-like drone that could replace real bees in pollinating flowers, should the population die out. aptly named ‘plan bee’ the prototype is a self sustainable device that works peacefully alongside nature in order to continue to growth of plants by cross-pollination. the project draws parallels with earlier research from this year by japanese scientist eijiro miyako, who successfully pollinated a flower using a $100 drone from amazon covered with patches of horse hair. 

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the plan bee drone is designed to mimic the shape of a flower

 

 

‘plan bee’ builds on the concept of drone pollination, taking the design a step further. the drone is created to mirror the image of a flower while it interacts with the plant, and the essence of the bee is reproduced through the drone’s black and yellow stripes. upon approaching a flower, ‘plan bee’ sucks up pollen through holes on its underneath, working similar to a vacuum cleaner. as it moves on to the next flower, plan bee’s top vents push air through, causing the pollen to fall out and reproducing the natural cross-pollination pattern of a bee. 

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the drones could be reproduced to work on a large agricultural scale

 

 

the propellers on the drone are specifically designed to help push air through the top vents, releasing the pollen. ‘plan bee’ incorporates a camera underneath the drone, which is able to detect flowers using ultra-violet light, mimiking the sight of a bee. haldewang explains the importance of using artificial pollination on a global scale, stating that ‘this concept has the ability to move beyond a backyard and into the future of hydroponics and space.’ the project is designed to raise awareness about the declining bee population, caused by the use of pesticides and chemicals. 

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plan bee concept is designed to raise awareness about the world’s declining bee population
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the bee drone is designed to work peacefully alongside nature