Cyborgs don’t just only belong to the make-belief world of comics and Hollywood movies anymore.
A joint team of scientists and engineers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the University of California, Berkeley have managed to literally turn living giant flower beetles into cyborgs which can be controlled by their human handlers.
Each beetle, which measures at least 6cm long, is designed to operate like a drone with its eventual aim to save lives in search-and-rescue missions, like entering crevices in inaccessible disaster areas such as collapsed buildings to locate victims, reported The Straits Times last year.
Stuck with beewax to the yellow-and-black striped insect is an extremely lightweight ‘backpack’ which contains a microchip with electrodes inserted into certain parts of the beetle’s body.
The electrodes convert radio signals into various involuntary actions in the beetle, such as getting it to change its flight path, to move faster in a galloping manner or to hover in the air.
But a new video posted by technology and culture website Motherboard on Wednesday (Nov 30) shows how a beetle can be deployed and controlled. A sensor can even help it detect a human being, such as a person missing in a disaster.
Looks like the humble bug will soon enjoy an honourable status even if it only performs one successful mission within its short lifespan.
chenj@sph.com.sg
