This tiny swarm is not thousands of bees, but thousands of robots called Kilobots. I saw this via Harvard University in a study that is quite amazing.
The swarm can self-assemble into any two-dimensional shape, and can have all sorts of interesting applications. What we’re looking at is actually the first steps toward an entire new type of technology that can form bigger structures and even bigger robots. But for now this will be used to help scientists understand collective behavior that you will often find in nature – especially among animals. (think flocks of migratory birds or schools of fish.)
Where will this lead?
Read more here, and check out this video: