18 votes

Tiny robot drones learn to navigate the world like honeybees

13 comments

  1. chocobean
    Link
    Ahh so they're bee inspired in a behavioral sense, not been sized. From abstract: So 10x bigger network but less good results when windy and ~5x further away. Interesting how difficult it is to...

    The Bee-Nav does this using an off-the-shelf Raspberry Pi 4 computer the size of a credit card that runs neural nets with between 3.4 and 42.3 kilobytes of memory—thousands of times less than conventional mapping setups use. The team’s test bots homed in from a maximum of 600 meters (1,970 feet) away

    Ahh so they're bee inspired in a behavioral sense, not been sized.

    From abstract:

    In real-world indoor and outdoor experiments, a small drone successfully returned to within 0.5 m of home for 100% of 30–110-m flights and 70% of 200–600-m flights in windy conditions, using 3.4-kB and 42-kB neural networks, respectively.

    So 10x bigger network but less good results when windy and ~5x further away. Interesting how difficult it is to scale up, and what a marvel actual bees are: so much smaller, better at navigation, and much more efficient on board energy converter.

    5 votes
  2. [12]
    comma
    Link
    Black Mirror vibes

    Black Mirror vibes

    8 votes
    1. [10]
      macleod
      Link Parent
      Not really, I mean sure, this could be used in a 'big brother' surveillance capitalism sort of way, but we've been developing remote controlled bug-fakes since the 80s for spying. This is more...

      Not really, I mean sure, this could be used in a 'big brother' surveillance capitalism sort of way, but we've been developing remote controlled bug-fakes since the 80s for spying.

      This is more just interesting because they are using radically small energy and spec requirements to handle autonomous navigation of three dimensional typologies working in a hive-mind kind of framework. Absolutely stunning achievement.

      10 votes
      1. [2]
        Carrow
        Link Parent
        There was an episode where humanity replaced extinct bees with little drones and then they were weaponized in a gruesome manner against folks that were targeted by social media haters calling for...

        There was an episode where humanity replaced extinct bees with little drones and then they were weaponized in a gruesome manner against folks that were targeted by social media haters calling for their death. IIRC the episode even notes the significance of their small energy footprint, autonomous navigation, and hive framework.

        21 votes
        1. macleod
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          Ah got it. Been awhile since I watched it and that sounds familiar. Thanks!

          Ah got it. Been awhile since I watched it and that sounds familiar. Thanks!

          10 votes
      2. [7]
        comma
        Link Parent
        This is why I hate posting here. Everyone’s a smart arse.

        This is why I hate posting here. Everyone’s a smart arse.

        2 votes
        1. DefinitelyNotAFae
          Link Parent
          That was a pretty good faith response for a 3 word throwaway comment I think you're misreading the tone and intent of their reply. /Gen

          That was a pretty good faith response for a 3 word throwaway comment

          I think you're misreading the tone and intent of their reply. /Gen

          11 votes
        2. [3]
          TaylorSwiftsPickles
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          Look, I don't inherently disagree with you regarding some general user patterns within tildes, and I'm also borderline about to quit this website for various reasons, but there are a few more...

          Look, I don't inherently disagree with you regarding some general user patterns within tildes, and I'm also borderline about to quit this website for various reasons, but there are a few more tildes-appropriate ways to say the exact same thing without a minor "insult" towards another user.

          Edit: And I agree with Faen't, it was a good faith response.

          7 votes
          1. DefinitelyNotAFae
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            I hope you don't, you'd be missed ETA: new favorite nickname

            I hope you don't, you'd be missed

            ETA: new favorite nickname

            15 votes
        3. macleod
          (edited )
          Link Parent
          Hey now, I might be, but that doesn't mean everyone here is (-: edit: just so we're clear here, I did write the comment in good faith, this is legitimately fascinating to me as a roboticist.

          Hey now, I might be, but that doesn't mean everyone here is (-:

          edit: just so we're clear here, I did write the comment in good faith, this is legitimately fascinating to me as a roboticist.

          7 votes
        4. Kale
          Link Parent
          I’m curious why someone taking the time to write out a meaningful well thought out response is a negative thing? There are a lot of communities on the internet that exist just for quick banter....

          I’m curious why someone taking the time to write out a meaningful well thought out response is a negative thing?

          There are a lot of communities on the internet that exist just for quick banter.

          It’s the intentional conversations that makes tildes feel special to me, personally.

          3 votes
    2. trim
      Link Parent
      Vibes of Michael Crichton's Prey.

      Vibes of Michael Crichton's Prey.

      1 vote