ACS Student-Made Robotic Bee Prototype Pchelichka Wins Multiple Awards

Тhe robotic bee prototype Pchelichka (Little Bee) built by ACS students Momchil Kolev and Kaloyan Dimitrov has been participating and winning awards and recognition at multiple forums this past few days, starting with the ACS in-house Science Fair held last Friday where it won the audience Best Overall Project award with 425 votes, followed by the FISSION International Science Festival held Saturday at ACS where the bee-like robot won the Best Model award in Physical Sciences and Engineering and simultaneously at the Robo Days 2024, organized by the Technical University Sofia where it was featured in the Innovation category. Moreover, two weeks ago, the project also won the Professional Association of Robotics, Automation and Innovations incubator (PARAi). 

The bee-like robot is a pico drone programmed to perform artificial pollination. It is created as a possible solution to the problem of the decline in bee populations, a critical environmental concern with far-reaching implications. Out in the open, robotic bees such as Pchelichka could supplement natural bee activity, ensuring adequate pollination of crops and helping to maintain yields. But the true potential of such an innovation is in greenhouses and vertical farms, gaining traction as innovative solutions for growing fresh produce year-round with land availability shrinking and concerns about traditional agriculture's environmental impact growing.

Congratulations to the impressive engineering duo for their hard work, creativity and dedication in creating this outstanding project! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Pchelichka and its talented creators!