Beetle that pushes dung with the help of 100 billion stars unlocks the key to better navigation systems in drones and satellites

An insect species that evolved 130 million years ago is the inspiration for a new research study to improve navigation systems in drones, robots, and orbiting satellites.

The dung beetle is the first known species to use the Milky Way at night to navigate, focusing on the constellation of stars as a reference point to roll balls of dung in a straight line away from their competitors.

Insects have been solving navigational problems for millions of years, including those that even the most advanced machines struggle with. And they've done it in a tiny little package. Their brains consist of tens of thousands of neurons compared to billions of neurons in humans, yet they still manage to find solutions from the natural world.