Robot bees to read the Mars atmosphere: Aerospace engineering

New Delhi : This is indeed an interesting invention where the International researchers have created new bee robot to observe the atmosphere on Mars surface. The project was awarded by Innovating Advanced Concepts program of NASA with $125,000 last month for extra ordinary development on space exploration.

The team of the researchers including engineering researchers and associate professors in association with University of Alabama have designed the robotic bees to record the surface of our planet as well as the red planet Mars.

Named as ‘Marsbees’, the flying robots would help researchers to collecting accurate data about Earth’s neighbouring planet for creating topographic maps.

“We figured that our interdisciplinary backgrounds in fluid mechanics, structural dynamics and control would be particularly useful to study insect-like flying robots. All of the design parameters, such as the size and the shape of the wing, the flapping frequency, the mission design, should be optimized for the Mars environment,” said Taeyoung Lee, aerospace engineering professor of the research team.

The bees will be able to read the atmosphere under the low gravity of Mars, claimed Kang, a scientist. The first of its kind, robotic bees would run on batteries and proper scheduling will be done on when to recharge the batteries.

“Providing aerial-sensing and information-gathering capabilities will greatly help the existing and future Mars exploration missions. That combination is intended to give it the ability to generate sufficient lift for hovering in the ultra-low-density Martian atmosphere,” added Diana LaChance, admissions communications director and the spokeswoman of the project.

The robotic bees would straight away give the gathered information. Experts believe that they would land on the surface to collect samples and then return back to their base to recharge their batteries. Isn’t interesting!