Flight of a radio-controlled cyborg beetle
Radio-controlled insects, it sounds like a cheap scientific sensation, but more recently, such developments are underway. In 2006, the notorious company DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) launched a project whose unprecedented goal is to turn an insect into a controlled "machine" .
The project is progressing with varying success, but it proved the possibility of creating such systems. In the "Integrated Neural Systems" section of the open scientific journal "Frontiers" a note is published that a group of engineers led by Berkeley Hirotaka Sato from Berkeley developed a neurostimulating device. With the help of this device for the first time managed to control the flight of an insect.
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A miniature device developed by Sato and colleagues is mounted on a protonum (the upper part of the ekoskeleton), and consists of electrodes that are implanted in the brain and wing muscles. The computer commands take-off, landing, lifting, descending and turning. A microcontroller equipped with a receiver and microbattery accepts and executes commands.
After launch, the flight continues without additional stimulation. The beetle itself flies and holds the horizon itself. Neural and muscular stimulation is used only to change the height and direction of flight. The rotation is performed by asymmetric stimulation of the muscles of the wings. Stimulation of the left muscle leads to a turn to the right and vice versa. If you change the frequency of the pulses, you can achieve a height change.
The main use of such cyborgs is military operations. They may carry out reconnaissance work or the delivery of micro baggage in places where the use of larger objects is unacceptable. The goliath beetle (Mecynorrhina torquata) used is a rather large insect and can carry up to 30% of the load, about 2.5 grams. Also, researchers can learn a lot about the behavior of insects, diet, flight dynamics and eenegetike.
PS from myself.
In general, it is not surprising that an insect wants to fly away after it has been shocked into the eye. And the fact that it will turn if the current chops one wing. In general, well done.
The project is progressing with varying success, but it proved the possibility of creating such systems. In the "Integrated Neural Systems" section of the open scientific journal "Frontiers" a note is published that a group of engineers led by Berkeley Hirotaka Sato from Berkeley developed a neurostimulating device. With the help of this device for the first time managed to control the flight of an insect.
')
A miniature device developed by Sato and colleagues is mounted on a protonum (the upper part of the ekoskeleton), and consists of electrodes that are implanted in the brain and wing muscles. The computer commands take-off, landing, lifting, descending and turning. A microcontroller equipped with a receiver and microbattery accepts and executes commands.
After launch, the flight continues without additional stimulation. The beetle itself flies and holds the horizon itself. Neural and muscular stimulation is used only to change the height and direction of flight. The rotation is performed by asymmetric stimulation of the muscles of the wings. Stimulation of the left muscle leads to a turn to the right and vice versa. If you change the frequency of the pulses, you can achieve a height change.
The main use of such cyborgs is military operations. They may carry out reconnaissance work or the delivery of micro baggage in places where the use of larger objects is unacceptable. The goliath beetle (Mecynorrhina torquata) used is a rather large insect and can carry up to 30% of the load, about 2.5 grams. Also, researchers can learn a lot about the behavior of insects, diet, flight dynamics and eenegetike.
PS from myself.
In general, it is not surprising that an insect wants to fly away after it has been shocked into the eye. And the fact that it will turn if the current chops one wing. In general, well done.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/71074/
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