MO North Carolina - Cyborg moths could soon be sent into dangerous buildings, researchers have revealed.
Scientists have found a way to implant a controller into the moth, allowing them to remotely control its muscles. They say the breakthrough could lead to a new generation of ‘biobots’. The technique attaches electrodes to a moth during its pupal stage, when the caterpillar is in a cocoon undergoing metamorphosis into its winged adult stage. By attaching electrodes to the muscle groups responsible for a moth’s flight, Bozkurt’s team is able to monitor electromyographic signals – the electric signals the moth uses during flight to tell those muscles what to do. The moth is connected to a wireless platform that collects the electromyographic data as the moth moves its wings. To give the moth freedom to turn left and right, the entire platform levitates, suspended in mid-air by electromagnets. The North Carolina State University researchers developed a way to electronically manipulate the flight muscles of moths. They can also monitor the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles.
‘In the big picture, we want to know whether we can control the movement of moths for use in applications such as search and rescue operations,’ said Dr. Alper Bozkurt, who led the study. ‘The idea would be to attach sensors to moths in order to create a flexible, aerial sensor network that can identify survivors or public health hazards in the wake of a disaster.’ The technique attaches electrodes to a moth during its pupal stage, when the caterpillar is in a cocoon undergoing metamorphosis into its winged adult stage. This aspect of the work was done in conjunction with Dr. Amit Lal of Cornell University.