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Radio-Controlled Cyborg Beetles Become Reality

Posted by timothy on from the tsa-agents-didn't-show-enough-drive dept.

holy_calamity writes "DARPA's plans to create brain chips for insects so they can be steered like an RC plane are bearing fruit. Videos show that a team at Berkeley can use radio signals to tell palm-sized African beetles to take off and land, and to lose altitude and steer left or right when in flight. They had to use the less-than-inconspicuous giant beetles because other species are too weak to take off with the weight of the necessary antenna and brain and muscle electrodes."

3 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Smaller, smaller, smaller... by Alwin+Henseler · · Score: 2, Interesting
    FTS:

    "They had to use the less-than-inconspicuous giant beetles because other species are too weak to take off with the weight of the necessary antenna and brain and muscle electrodes."

    So, as technology advances: smaller electronics, radio parts, electromechanical components, power source -> smaller state-of-the-art RC toy. How long until you can have your own, remote-controlled army of fruit flies? 5 years? 10? 20?

  2. Re:Sweet, but needs a lot of work still by JimboFBX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What is amazing if you think about it is how far and fast insects can go with so little energy consumption. In contrast, a simple little radio...

  3. Prior Art by DreamsAreOkToo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This was first done in the 5th Element when Zorg's assistant spies on the president. Obviously, according to IP law, DARPA owes the creators of the 5th Element $500 Trillion (in standard RIAA dollars).