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Des robots espions au cœur des ruches : la vie secrète des abeilles dévoilée

 

Des robots espions au cœur des ruches : la vie secrète des abeilles dévoilée



Les abeilles, essentielles à la biodiversité et à l’agriculture, font l’objet d’une attention croissante de la part des scientifiques. Leur comportement complexe au sein des colonies soulève de nombreuses questions. Une équipe internationale de chercheurs a mis au point un système robotique innovant pour observer en continu ces insectes sociaux. Cette méthode d’observation non invasive pourrait apporter des réponses inédites sur le fonctionnement des ruches et contribuer à la préservation des abeilles.

Des chercheurs de l’Université de Durham, en collaboration avec des partenaires internationaux, ont développé un système robotique sophistiqué permettant une observation prolongée et ininterrompue des colonies d’abeilles. Cette recherche, publiée dans la revue Science Robotics, marque une étape importante dans le domaine de la recherche comportementale numérisée.

Le système innovant, élaboré dans le cadre du projet «RoboRoyale» financé par l’Union européenne, permet un suivi 24 heures sur 24 et 7 jours sur 7 des reines et de leurs interactions avec les ouvrières. Grâce à des robots autonomes et des algorithmes d’intelligence artificielle avancés, les chercheurs ont pu analyser des millions d’images haute résolution, extrayant ainsi des données précieuses sur le comportement des abeilles, auparavant impossibles à obtenir.

Un large éventail de données est recueilli par le système robotique, notamment les schémas de déplacement de la reine, son comportement de ponte, le décompte de la population, le succès de reproduction et une carte constamment mise à jour du contenu des rayons. Cette approche exhaustive permet une compréhension plus approfondie de l’autorégulation sociale au sein des colonies d’abeilles.

un espion dans la ruche
Crédit : Durham University

Les premiers résultats de la recherche ont révélé des informations fascinantes sur le comportement des abeilles. L’équipe a découvert qu’une reine parcourt environ 1,5 kilomètre par mois à l’intérieur de la ruche, se déplaçant sur deux rayons de miel mesurant environ 42×33 cm. Plus surprenant encore, il a été constaté que les reines pondent en moyenne 187 œufs par jour, même pendant la saison déclinante des abeilles en octobre.

Le professeur Farshad Arvin de l’Université de Durham, coordinateur du projet, a souligné l’importance de cette technologie. Il a déclaré : «Notre système robotique nous permet de recueillir une quantité sans précédent de données sur le comportement des abeilles mellifères. Les informations que nous obtenons pourraient transformer notre compréhension de ces insectes sociaux complexes et potentiellement contribuer à leur conservation.»

Le dispositif de recherche se compose de deux caméras haute résolution qui fonctionnent de manière autonome pour suivre la reine et cartographier le contenu des rayons. Utilisant la lumière infrarouge pour éviter de perturber les abeilles, le système a capturé et analysé plus de 100 millions d’images individuelles, un volume qu’il serait pratiquement impossible pour des scientifiques humains de traiter manuellement.

un espion dans la ruche
Crédit : Durham University

Cette recherche novatrice fournit non seulement de nouvelles perspectives sur le comportement des abeilles mellifères, mais démontre également le potentiel de la robotique avancée et de l’intelligence artificielle dans l’étude d’écosystèmes complexes.

L’équipe de l’Université de Durham, en collaboration avec leurs partenaires de l’Université de Graz en Autriche, de l’Université technique tchèque en République tchèque et de l’Université technique du Moyen-Orient en Turquie, vise à étendre ces méthodes numériques à d’autres espèces animales et végétales importantes. Le domaine de la recherche écologique pourrait ainsi être profondément transformé par ces avancées technologiques.

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