In the wetlands of South Florida, massive slithery invaders are on the loose! They’re Burmese pythons, snakes native to Southeast Asia. They have spread quickly, throwing the ecosystem out of balance. These invasive reptiles eat up native animals, which don’t have defenses against these snakes. Scientists have been trying all kinds of tricks to stop the snakes. This might be their cutest idea yet—fuzzy bunny bots! 

Scientists turned 40 cuddly rabbit stuffies into high-tech snake bait. They replaced the stuffing with motors and electronic components. The bots copy the movements of marsh rabbits, a favorite python meal. The scientists put the bots in cages and use cameras to see if they attract the snakes. 

If the bots work, they’ll be a safer and easier way to trap and remove these reptiles.

In the wetlands of South Florida, snakes are on the loose! Burmese pythons are snakes from Southeast Asia. But they have spread quickly in Florida. That has thrown the ecosystem out of balance. 

These invasive reptiles eat up native animals. These animals don’t have defenses against these snakes. Scientists have been trying all kinds of tricks to stop the snakes. This might be their cutest idea yet—fuzzy bunny bots! 

Scientists turned 40 cuddly rabbit stuffies into high-tech snake bait. They replaced the stuffing with motors and electronic parts. The bots copy the movements of marsh rabbits, a favorite python meal. The scientists put the bots in cages and used cameras to see if the snakes tried to eat them.

If the bots work, they’ll be a safer and easier way to trap these snakes.

Robots that look like animals are a great way for scientists to spy on wildlife—especially for shy creatures, like a type of antelope called a chiru. Chirus live in high-altitude areas of Central Asia. People used to hunt them. Now, they’re protected.

Scientists want to monitor wild chirus. But if people get too close, they run away. So scientists designed a chiru bot! It blends in with the herds while a scientist controls it from far away. 

Cameras inside the robot take pictures, helping scientists count the animals. The fake chiru also has wheels built into its feet so it can keep up with the herd. Shhh—don’t tell the real chirus! 

Robots that look like animals can help scientists spy on wildlife. That’s especially true for shy creatures, like a type of antelope called a chiru. Chirus live in high mountains in Central Asia. People used to hunt them. Now, they’re protected. 

Scientists want to monitor wild chirus. But if people get too close, they run away. So scientists designed a chiru bot! It blends in with the herds while a scientist controls it from far away. 

Cameras inside the robot take pictures, helping scientists count the animals. The fake chiru also has wheels built into its feet so it can keep up with the herd. Shhh—don’t tell the real chirus!

Imagine a flying robot the size of a bee—but it won’t bite or sting you. This little robot might look like a bug, but it’s actually a drone. 

A mini drone designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology can flap its wings hundreds of times per second, like bees and flies. It can even handle being bonked! “You can hit it when it’s flying, and it can recover,” says Kevin Chen, one of the engineers. 

Chen hopes that one day the drones will be used as pollinators. Like bees, the drones could move pollen from one plant to another. 

Imagine a flying robot the size of a bee—but it won’t bite or sting you. This little robot might look like a bug, but it’s actually a drone. 

This mini drone was designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It can flap its wings hundreds of times per second, like bees and flies. It can even handle being bonked! “You can hit it when it’s flying, and it can recover,” says Kevin Chen, one of the engineers. 

Chen hopes that one day the drones will be used as pollinators. Like bees, the drones could move pollen from one plant to another.

High school student Evan Budz always wanted to help the environment, but he didn’t know how. Then, on a family camping trip, he spotted a snapping turtle swimming through the water. The turtle moved gently, without bothering anything around it. Evan wondered if he could create a robot that could do the same thing. 

“My creativity was immediately sparked, and BURT [short for Bionic Underwater Robotic Turtle] was born,” says Evan.

To make BURT as lifelike as possible, Evan spoke with experts at his local aquarium about sea turtles. He 3-D printed the robot’s parts: a round dome for the head, a wide tube for the body, and four flippers for swimming. 

High school student Evan Budz always wanted to help the planet, but he didn’t know how. Then, on a family camping trip, he spotted a snapping turtle swimming through the water. The turtle moved gently, without bothering anything around it. Evan wondered if he could create a robot that could do the same thing. 

“My creativity was immediately sparked, and BURT [short for Bionic Underwater Robotic Turtle] was born,” says Evan. 

To make BURT look as real as possible, Evan spoke with experts at an aquarium about sea turtles. Then he 3-D printed the robot’s parts. That included a round dome for the head and a wide tube for the body. It also has four flippers for swimming.