The US army is backing a project that allows a flying giant
flower beetle to be remote controlled for surveillance
purposes.
The
"cyborg"
beetle has implanted electrodes and a radio receiver on its
back so that it can be wirelessly controlled.
Scientists at the University of California have developed a tiny
rig that receives control signals from a nearby computer.
Electrical signals delivered via the beetle's electrodes command
the insect to take off, turn left or right, or hover in
midflight.
The research is funded by the US Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA). It is envisaged the beetle could one day
be used for surveillance purposes or for search-and-rescue
missions.
The beetle's payload consists of an off-the-shelf
microprocessor, a radio receiver, a battery attached to a
custom-printed circuit board, and six electrodes implanted into the
animals' optic lobes and flight muscles.
To be used for search-and-rescue missions, the insect would also
need to carry a small camera and heat sensor.