Robots allow fish and bees to communicate with each other for the first time

Animal communication is fascinating and often much more complex than people realize. Humans can communicate with other species with some success, but researchers have now allowed two very different creatures to "talk to each other". Use robots.

As reported in Science Robotics, the team has successfully communicated a group of bees located in Austria with a group of fish living in Switzerland. Each group of animals had a robotic counterpart of themselves that would serve as a relay of communication, connecting the two groups and influencing their behavior in turn.

The robots of each group emitted signals specific to this species. Bee robots vibrated, changed the temperature and produced air movements. The fish robot could change color, shape and movement. Each robot recorded the signals produced by the species assigned to it, passed them on to the other robot, and then translated the incoming message into something that their species could understand.

"We have created an unprecedented bridge between the two animal communities, allowing them to exchange some of their dynamics," said lead author Bonnet, Frank Bonnet, of the Bio-robotics Lab (BioRob) of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. "The species has even begun to adopt certain characteristics of each other.The bees have become a little more agitated and less likely to assemble together than usual, and the fish have begun to regroup. more than usual. "

Although distant of 700 km and living the world differently, the two species communicated. At first, their interactions and reactions were chaotic, but they finally found common ground. The researchers report that after 25 minutes the two groups of animals were synchronized. The fish started swimming around their tank counterclockwise, while bees swarmed around one of their robotic terminals.

"The robots acted as negotiators and interpreters at an international conference," said Francesco Mondada, a professor at BioRob. "Through various information exchanges, both groups of animals have gradually made a joint decision."

This research has multiple applications. The new approach could help robotics engineers capture, translate and understand biological signals. Meanwhile, biologists could use it to better understand animal behavior and interactions within ecosystems. In the future, similar approaches could also contribute to conservation efforts by encouraging animals to stay in safe places or by using them to monitor the environment.