Currently, robots and bloodhound dogs are widely used in search operations for rescue operations, but American scientists decided that cyborgs, that is, living things with electronics integrated into the body, would cope better
Especially if they are so small that they can get into places where a bulky robot cannot crawl. Engineers at the Michigan Institute plan that flying insects, equipped with tiny cameras and microphones, will begin looking for people buried under the rubble next year. A group of scientists led by Professor Khalil Najafi has worked for many years to create a cyborg beetle. Scientists have managed to ensure that the insect was able to generate electricity by itself. It is needed to power the equipment that the beetle drags on itself. The energy from the flapping of the wings is converted into electricity using miniature generators. In addition to the camera and microphone, there is no need to place a battery on the insect's back, which threatens to be discharged at the most inopportune moment.
According to the idea of the developers, a miniature rescuer can be launched into the ruins of buildings that have collapsed as a result of earthquakes. The beetle will crawl among the wreckage, and the sensors will record sounds and transmit the picture from the camera to the screen of the operator of the search operation. So it will be possible to find people left under the ruins of buildings much faster. In addition, beetles can be used in general in those areas where a person is ordered to enter. For example, to study nuclear power plants after an accident.
“By drawing power directly from the beetle, we were able to provide uninterrupted power for the camera, microphone and communication device, which the insect carries like in a tiny backpack on its back. They can become rescuers or scouts, penetrating areas that are dangerous or closed to humans,”explained Professor Najafi.
Recall that earlier this year, Khalil Najafi and his colleague Ethem Aktakka developed the smallest piezoelectric generators, which they placed on the back of a bronze (Cotinis nitida), a relative of our May beetle. The generator was in the form of a spiral, the ends of which rested against the wings. When the insect moved them, the energy was converted into electricity. One spiral generator produced about 18.5 - 22.5 microwatts. If you put in a couple of such devices, you can increase the performance to 45 microwatts.
These same developers from the University of Michigan made a startling discovery in 2009. They were able to control the flight of a live beetle as if it were a radio-controlled model. The operator gave commands that were broadcast to the neuroimplant, and the insect obediently followed them. Scientists hope that if you combine all these developments, then the output can be a universal cyborg beetle, ready for any task - from search operations to espionage.