Because… you demanded it, I guess?
Bees and fish can now ‘talk’ to one another via a new walkie talkie system that can translate each other’s languages, according to scientists. The new system makes use of tiny robots planted among a shoal of fish and terminals embedded within a bee colony that could relay different modes of communication between the two species.
These robots and terminals use signals that could be translated into a language that both fish and bees could comprehend. The signals included “fluctuating air temperature, movement, and vibrations” for the terminals and “color, speed, and movements” for the robot fish. This caused the two species to change their regular patterns – the bees started moving outside of the terminals and the fish began to swim in a different direction than before.
“The robots acted as if they were negotiators and interpreters in an international conference,” BioRob professor Francesco Mondada said in an interview with TechXplore. “Through the various information exchanges, the two groups of animals gradually came to a shared decision.”
“It’s the first time that people are using this kind of technology to have two different species communicate with each other,” another scientist, New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Simon Garnier, said. “It’s a proof of concept that you can have robots mediate interactions between distant groups.”
Scientists say that the new system can benefit both humans and animals by making it easier for humans to understand animals and help them ‘change their lives for the better.’
