Researchers create “robobees” as last ditch effort to compensate for collapsing bee populations

The invention of robot bees – robobees, for short – could be the long-awaited solution to all sorts of problems caused by the dwindling bee population all around the world. Just in case you haven’t heard, the world bee population has been steadily declining. As a result, a number of different environmental problems have emerged. With bees not fulfilling their role as far as pollination is concerned, some flowers and trees are unable to grow.

But things could change rather drastically with the introduction of robobees, as they could stand in for real bees in the meantime. This is according to Shashi Shekhar, one of the world’s foremost experts on mapping, citing the potential of robobees for serving as instruments in solving the catastrophic food shortages happening worldwide. Shekhar shared his thoughts on the matter as a speaker in the world’s biggest science conference. In his view, the time to embrace bee-sized drones to do things like pollinate crops.