High Tech Backpack for Bumblebees

There is a lot of research going into tiny drones, but the latest research involves Living Iot.

Bumblebee with backpack.  Photo credit:  Mark Stone/University of Washingotn

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Computer Science & Engineering have found a new way to collect data using bumblebees.  The team has designed a backpack, complete with wireless communication and location tracking, to collect data on temperature, humidity and crop health.

A drone can only operate for about 20 minutes before needing to charge again. The integrated battery in the bee’s backpack lets it run for seven hours straight, yet weighs just 102 milligrams.  A full-grown bumblebee, for comparison, could weight anywhere from two to six times that. They are strong fliers that can carry three-quarters of their body weight in pollen and nectar. And because they return to a hive each night, data from their sensors can be uploaded and their tiny batteries can be recharged.

Backpack for a bumblebee Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

To track the bees, the researchers set up multiple antennas that broadcast signals from a base station.  A receiver in the bee’s backpack uses the strength of the signal and the angle difference between the bee and the base station to triangulate the insect’s position.

With a drone, you’re just flying around randomly, while a bee is going to be drawn to specific things, like the plants it prefers to pollinate.

Bees are essential pollinators for the crops we depend on.  Without them one-third of our foods would disappear. So on top of learning about the environment, the research team is hoping the sensor they have developed can give us a better understanding of bee behavior and help keep them from becoming extinct.

 

 

Simple Eyes

Ocellus is a type of simple eye or an optical arrangement that contains a single lens. It is named after the Celtic god Ocelus, who was venerated as a protector. It is not necessarily simple in the usual sense of the word. Human eyes and camera lenses are classified as simple, because in both cases a single lens collects and focuses light onto the retina or film.

Ocelli on head of paper wasp Credit: Assafn/Wikimedia

SEM (Scanning electron micrograph) of ocelli on a hornet Credit: Science Photo Library/Visualphotos.com

Portrait of a parasitic wasp (Ophion obscuratus). Credit: Matthias Lenke/Flickr.co

Head of a green grocer cicada with triple occelli. Credit: Dr. Jeremy Burgess/Science Photo Library

Dorsal ocelli are light-sensitive organs, which coexist with compound eyes.  They are larger and more strongly expressed on flying insects like dragonflies, bees, wasps and locust where they are typically found as a triplet.   One theory is that their function is to assist in maintaining flight stability.

German wasp showing dorsal ocelli Credit: Francisco Javier Torrent Andres Biosphoto

Spiders have several pairs of simple eyes with each pair adapted for a specific task. The forward-facing pair possess the best resolution with telescopic components to see prey at a large distance.

Apache jumping spider Credit: Scott Linstead/Science Source

 

Wolf spider Credit: Matthias Lenke/Flickr.com

 

Male lobster jumping spider Credit: Paul/Flickr.com

Zebra spring spider Credit: Matthias Lenke/Flickr.com

We are constantly learning new tricks from the natural world.  Research on the ocellus is of high interest to designers of small drones since these crafts face many of the same challenges that insects face in maintaining stability in a 3-D world.

 

 

To Drone or not to Drone

Credit: Sergei Grits/AP Photos

To capture great aerial shots during the skiing and snowboarding events at the Winter Olympics in Sochi NBC used drones.  To do so they filed flight plans with Russia’s civil aviation authority and got permission to use the drones from local law enforcement.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for sports photography is far from a passing gimmick.   You should expect more and more athletic events to be filmed by drones since they are quieter and cheaper than a manned helicopter and allow the filmmaker to get much closer to his subject.   A sophisticated drone weighs about 3 pounds and can cost up to $40,000.

Although drones are used through out Europe, usage in the USA is still subject to controversy.  When the Washington Nationals used a drone to take photos during spring training, but were asked to stop since they “did not have FAA approval”.

In the past commercial news organizations  have been prohibited from using drones to capture images.  A 2007 FAA policy stressed that UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) enthusiasts could not use drones for commercial purposes.  A commercial flight requires a certified aircraft, a licensed pilot and operating approval from FAA. The FAA  frowned on media outlets using drone images, but a judge ruled early this month that the FAA could not regulate drone flights, a decision the FAA quickly appealed.

On March 12, 2014 Brian Wilson used his drone at the scene of the fatal blast  following a deadly gas explosion on Park Avenue at East 116^th Street in Harlem to capture the scene shown below.

Photo by Brian Wilson

Police originally allowed Brian Wilson to launch his camera drone up 150 to 200 feet, but after he captured about 30 minutes of video the police said they’d prefer he didn’t fly in the area anymore.

Four Blade DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter used to photograph the New York explosion Credit: Mike Segar/ Reuters

Since the FAA has never undertaken the required public notice necessary to make an official regulation.  The FAA could potentially try to establish an emergency rule, but it’s unclear how long that will take or whether they’ll do it.  What this means, at least for now, is that you can go fly your drone.

Catch landing a hexacopter drone. Credit: Richard Newstead/Flickr/Getty Images