Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
honeybee robotics
in-hive experimentation
modular robotic platform
spatial constraints
environmental robustness
COMB: Common Open Modular robotic platform for Bees
🤖 AI Summary
Current honeybee experimentation is constrained by limited spatial access, environmental interference, and highly specialized hardware, lacking a general-purpose, reusable robotic platform. This work proposes a compact, open-source, modular robotic system designed for operation inside beehives, integrating an XY positioning stage, a movable sealed observation window, modular payload interfaces, and an embedded control architecture to enable precise trajectory execution and localized sensing-stimulation tasks. The platform establishes, for the first time, standardized and versatile experimental capabilities within hive environments, supporting a range of plug-and-play payloads. Its efficacy is demonstrated through three core functionalities: generating biomimetic waggle-dance signals, scanning comb structures, and delivering localized electromagnetic wing stimulation—validating high-precision motion control, repeatable imaging, and targeted vibrational actuation.
📝 Abstract
Experimental access to real honeybee colonies requires robotic systems capable of operating within limited spatial constraints, tolerating hive-specific fouling and environmental conditions, and supporting both sensing and localized actuation without frequent hardware redesign. This paper introduces COMB, a compact, open-source, modular mechatronic platform designed for in-hive experiments within standard observation-hive frames. The platform integrates a XY positioning stage, a Movable Access Window (MAW) for sealed tool access through the hive boundary, interchangeable payload modules, and an embedded control architecture that enables repeatable trajectory execution and signal generation. The platform's capabilities are demonstrated through three representative modules: a biomimetic dance-and-signaling payload, a close-range comb scanner, and an electromagnetic wing actuator for localized oscillatory stimulation. This paper details the hardware and software design of COMB, outlines its operational capabilities, and describes the supporting infrastructure for conducting real-world in-hive experiments. The platform is characterized in engineering terms through tracking waggle-trajectory executions, performing multi-image stitching for repeated comb mosaics, and conducting video-based spectral analysis of the wing actuator. These results position COMB as a reusable experimental robotics platform for controlled in-hive sensing and actuation, and as a compact, generalized successor to earlier task-specific honeybee robotic systems.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
modular robotics
in-hive experimentation
movable access window
open-source mechatronics
bio-inspired actuation
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