CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Scientists have created a technology that can turn flying insects into surveillance drones. <br /> <br />The technology makes use of a tiny backpack equipped with solar power and navigation systems. The backpack is fitted onto a dragonfly and commands the insect using optogenetics, a biological technique that uses light to control the “steering” neurons inside the nerve cord. The same setup can be applied to other insects of similar size, such as honeybees. <br /> <br />“This system pushes the boundaries of energy harvesting, motion sensing, algorithms, miniaturization and optogenetics, all in a system small enough for an insect to wear,” J. Wheeler, biomedical engineer at Draper and Howard Hughes Medical Institute and principal investigator of the technology said in a press release. <br /> <br />The cyborg dragonflies could be turned into tiny surveillance systems. Other applications of this technology may include guided pollination, payload delivery and precision medicine and diagnostics.
