Scientists of the interdisciplinary research company Draper use drone insects that move with mind control, thanks to a new microscopic technology they developed.
The DragonflEye project is trying to create cyborg aircraft that can be piloted by humans. It uses live drone-like dragonflies with "backpacks" containing a sensor array and a solar power source. energy. They then use a neural network to control their flight paths.
Watch the world's first cyborg-drone flight:
https://vimeo.com/219709402
At 36 seconds into the clip, Draper shows a live dragonfly "wearing" the new technology. In the video, usesA substance, possibly a binder, is used to apply a tiny sensor package to the dragonfly by a technician.
Once the insect is oriented, the technician releases it and we see it flying. The clip shows the insect moving in a straight line for a while, and then the video ends.
They don't say if the insect in the video was commanded to fly straight or if it was choice of flying this way.
In a Press release in January, the company detailed the procedure: feed light to the dragonfly's optic nerve simulating the insect's natural navigation points.
Draper engineers had to overcome a number of obstacles to make technology a reality, such as the creation of a pluck that is small enough for the dragon's nerve.
According to the company, the process shown in the video seems to be harmless to the insect. Engineers claim that the same technology can be applied to other insects. Bees, for example, could be directed to pollinate certain flowers.
This technology, although still at an early stage, is a very nice look at what we will see in the near future.
