A research team led by Hirotaka Sato and Michel Maharbiz at the University of California, Berkeley, has created implantable bio-interfaces i.e. the electrodes and tiny radio antennae, to stimulate the nervous and muscular systems of cyborg beetles via a remote. The solar cells and piezo-electrics that harvest energy from movement power the electrodes. You could see these beetles developing into micro air vehicles (MAVs) for spying purposes in the near future.
How did they do it?
The researchers conducted experiments on two species: green June beetles from the southern US, and a much larger African species. A wire electrode is inserted into left and right optic lobes of the insects and is later connected to a micro-controller. The beetles responded well to commands pertaining to flight initiation, cessation and elevation, under a radio control while carrying the neutral simulators having the micro-controller and a micro-battery on their dorsal thorax. A particular series of electrical pulses to brain made these beetles take off. While these insects remained in flight for 45 seconds on average, a recorded flight lasted for more than 30 minutes.
Constant power supply is an area of concern:
Reid Harrison, an electrical engineer at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, says:
I’m skeptical about their ability to do surveillance for the following reason: no one has solved the power issue. Maybe we’ll have some advances in those technologies in the near future, but based on what you can get off the shelf now it’s not even close.
However, the project could be a success if they devise a lighter and more efficient power source.
Via: NewScientist/Treehugger