Researchers Implant Neural-Monitoring RFID Into a Moth

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."

Comments

Talk about feeding the conspiracy theorists

[mikael_j]

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

Debugging

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Well, as a moth...

[AA Wulf]

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