Whether rats, mice or bees: Animal groups accept so-called biocompatible robots as conspecifics and allow themselves to be influenced by them. Recently, a German-Chinese research team presented a device that successfully imitates the behaviour of the worrodents. "This is the first time that social learning has been demonstrated in a robot that interacts freely with animals," summarises Thomas Schmickl. The biologist is convinced that an autonomous apparatus that can cope with such long and complex behavioural patterns is an impressive step forward. He has published a commentary on this new research into social behaviour in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence.
In another publication in the journal Science Robotics, Schmickl assesses the new possibilities of controlling animals by machines in order to protect the ecosystem. At the University of Graz, for example, he and his team are investigating the benefits of a smart beehive. The technology monitors the health of the queen and her colony, meaning it can raise the alarm in good time if the insects are under stress or diseases are spreading. The robots can also use subtle signals to lure the bees to suitable food sources. "Ideally to those with few other wild pollinators," adds the biologist.
With the help of technology as an animal dialogue partner, researchers can also obtain valuable information about the state of the ecosystem, Schmickl concludes. "I believe that we must utilise these opportunities to solve burning problems," the biologist is convinced. However, we should not intervene in nature "just like that in the blue".