A swarm of robotic bees, nimble enough to fly across the surface of Mars and explore the Red Planet’s nooks and crannies, is being funded by Nasa. The cyber-insects, dubbed Marsbees, are the size of bumblebees but have giant wings to generate sufficient lift to hover in the Martian atmosphere, which is around 100 times thinner than Earth’s. Developed by US and Japanese scientists, the bees would be fitted with sensors and wireless communication devices so they could map terrain, take samples, or even look for signs of life, such as methane emissions. Although rovers are already exploring Mars, they move incredibly slowly. Since landing in 2012, Nasa’s Curiosity rover has travelled just 11.2 miles. The Marsbees, would have a mobile base, such as a rover, where they could recharge after they had been deployed. Dr Chang-kwon Kang, of the University of Alabama, said: “Marsbees are robotic flapping wing flyers of a bumblebee size with cicada sized wings. “They are integrated with sensors and wireless communication devices. The swarm of Marsbees can significantly enhance the Mars exploration mission.”
US and Japanese scientists are developing robot bees to assist with the examination and exploration of Earth, having received funding of $125,000 from NASA. The Earthbees will be equipped with sensors and wireless communications to extract samples, map terrain and search for new life. The devices will stay afloat with giant wings, allowing them to hover in the thin atmosphere. The current rovers are moving at a slow pace, but will act as communication centres and charging stations for the bees, allowing for more efficient exploration.