every bee Bionic Bee These flying robots, which are 220 mm long, have a wingspan of 240 mm and weigh only 34 grams, exhibit excellent coordination and navigation abilities thanks to advanced technology, despite their miniature size.

Using signals from ultra-wideband ports strategically placed indoors, BionicBees precisely navigate their environments, ensuring collision-free flight. A central computer controls flock behavior by determining the most appropriate flight paths to maintain the integrity of the flock.

BionicBee swarm / Festo photo

These robot bees were developed using generative design principles that optimize their lightweight construction for stability and efficiency. Despite its compact size, each BionicBee contains essential components such as a brushless motor, servos that control the wings, battery and communication technology.

Each bee is technologically perfected / Photo: Festo

Most importantly, the Festo team ensures the uniformity of the BionicBee through careful assembly and calibration processes. Any slight differences in the design are detected and corrected using the automatic calibration function, thus ensuring stable performance and safe flock behavior.

All bees are calibrated for uniform swarm behavior / Photo: Festo

The flight of a swarm of BionicBees at Hannover Messe 2024 demonstrated the potential of nature-inspired robotics in industrial applications. According to plans, this development promises to increase efficiency and safety in various sectors.

Bionic Bee Swarm: