Svetlana Chechetka, colleague of Miyako, notes that "conventional gels are mainly made of water and can't be used for a long time, so we decided to use this material for research".
Inspired by concerns over honeybees and news reports on robotic insects, Miyako decided to investigate whether the gel could be used to pick up pollen.
Separate feet experiments with houseflies discovered a different phenomenon: the gel produces a camouflage effect, changing colour in response to various light sources, which could be used to help artificial pollinators avoid predators.
[1] The team flew the 4 × 4 cm sized[2] mechanical bees over pink-leaved Japanese lilies (Lilium japonicum), letting them absorb the pollen.
The drones were then flown to a second flower, where grains were deposited to artificially pollinate the plants, causing them to begin the process of generating seeds.