You guys probably know by now that I love, love, bees. Thought I'd share this article about how a group of researchers in Finland have built a robot they claim could evolve into the first artificial pollinator:

>The robot resembles a dandelion seed and has several biomimetic features. Its porous structure and light weight (1.2mg) enable it to float in the air, directed by the wind. Notably, the robot can also adapt manually to wind direction and force by changing its shape. And thanks to a stable separated vortex ring generation it’s suitable for long-distance wind-assisted travelling.

One problem they've had, though, is sticking the landing:

>Nevertheless, the technology requires further research and collaboration with material scientists and microrobotics experts to address two main challenges: the precise control of the landing spot and reusing the device to make it biodegradable.

Full study here!