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Researchers Implant Neural-Monitoring RFID Into a Moth

Posted by timothy on from the wasn't-flapping-at-the-time dept.

TechRev_AL writes "A team from the University of Washington has attached an RFID chip capable of sensing neural activity to a live moth, to pick up the spikes that occur as it beats its wings. Most neural implants are still relatively bulky, but the Washington researchers wanted to show the components in an RFID could be adapted for the same purpose. The NeuralWISP chip is a collection of low-power components such as a specialized signal amplifier, on a circuit board just over two centimeters long. The circuitry converts usable power from the reader — roughly 430 microwatts — to a voltage that can turn on a microcontroller. The sensor is also configured to 'wake up' only when a neuron fires. The ultimate goal is to create more compact, wirelessly-powered brain and nervous system implants for people."

7 of 39 comments (clear)

  1. Talk about feeding the conspiracy theorists by mikael_j · · Score: 3, Funny

    You know all those "the government place a transmitter in my brain" people are going to have a field day with this one. Now they get to panic about government mind-control and RFID (or in their lingo "the mark of the beast") at the same time.

    /Mikael

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    Greylisting is to SMTP as NAT is to IPv4
  2. Debugging by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wonder if they've gotten all the bugs out yet?

  3. We will add your biological and technological.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... distinctiveness to our own.

    Resistance is Futile.

  4. Well, as a moth... by AA+Wulf · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one welcome our new RFID-implanting human overlords...

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    http://bohemian-geek.blogspot.com
  5. V-Chip by IndustrialComplex · · Score: 2, Funny

    Cartman is going to be Pis*Z*Z*Z**ZZZZZZZZap. OUCH DAMN*Z*Z*Z*ZZZZAP. FuZ**Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z. OW!

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  6. Will o' the NeuralWISP, MEMS, & Spice by Globally+Mobile · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Just imagined a great cloud of moths controlled by these implants, with an MEMS chip for distributed wireless, feeding our ever growing hunger for broadband communications.


    'The Spice Must Flow'

  7. Re:We will add your biological and technological.. by SailorSpork · · Score: 2, Funny

    No no, this is the birth of the Insecticons! Ahh, sweet childhood...

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insecticons