But both parties have an interest in supporting the basic function of the CBO, in order to buttress their own credibility, and to get some empirically-generated sense of what the future might look like.
"There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function and improved circulation, " said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.
Dr Ma even suggested that the robots could behave like many real insects and assist with the pollination of crops, "to function as the now-struggling honeybee populations do in supporting agriculture around the world".