Research lab
Agriculture from the insect's perspective
Agriculture has a huge impact on nature and all the organisms living within it. Over the years, we have manipulated the agricultural industry to such an extent that without interventions like fertilizers and pesticides, a decent harvest can no longer grow. These substances are full of harmful chemicals that not only kill the bad factors but also the beneficial parts of nature. Take insects, for example. They are incredibly important and useful, but they don’t get the chance to show this because they are slowly being eradicated. This is a major problem, as 72% of agriculture would not be possible without insects. Bees are also victims of this issue. They play a crucial role in pollinating crops but are unable to thrive due to various factors.
With the research question, ‘Can robotics be used as a tool to help protect bees from the agricultural industry?’ I attempted to design something that would raise awareness of this issue. The result is the Robee: a robotic arm that can communicate with bees through scent and dance, guiding them to food sources. In this way, it helps the bees and, indirectly, the agricultural industry as well.
Recent graduate in:
Communication and Multimedia Design,
Avans University Breda
@ninke.freijser
ninke.freijser@gmail.com
Ninke Freijser