Cyborg insects will soon be able to replace humans in high-risk intelligence operations, according to American researchers.
Scientists have found a way to implant a controller in insects that allows them to remotely control their muscles. They say the breakthrough could lead to a new generation of biorobots.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina have developed a way to manipulate the flying muscles of butterflies. In the course of the study, they learned how to control them using electrical impulses of different intensities, according to Mail Online.
“Basically, we want to know if we can control the movements of insects enough to be used in search and rescue operations,” said Dr. Alper Bozkurt, who led the study. "The idea is to create a flexible insect sensor network that can identify survivors or health threats posed by a natural disaster."
The technique involves implanting electrodes into an insect when the caterpillar is in a cocoon and it transforms into a butterfly. By attaching electrodes to the muscle groups responsible for the moth's flight, the team was able to monitor electromyographic signals - the electrical signals of the butterfly that tell the muscles what to do during flight. The researchers then collected electromyographic data during the insect's flight.
"By observing how a moth uses its wings, and by matching these movements with the corresponding electromyographic signals, we have a much better understanding of how moths maneuver in the air," the researchers say.
They expect this information to help develop technology for remote control of butterflies.
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“This is necessary to achieve the main goal of creating bio-robots that can be part of a cyber-physical sensor network,” they add.