Behold the Cyborg Spy Bugs of the Future

As if our current surveillance society wasn’t creepy enough, the wave of the spying future may come on the backs of creepy-crawlies. No joke—in tiny “backpacks” or perhaps hitched around their wing muscles. Read it and get skeeved out.  —KA

BBC:

The University of Michigan team of engineers published their study in the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering.

The report noted that, despite major advances in micro-air-vehicle technology, no-one had been able to match the aerodynamic performance and manoeuvring capability of insects.

However, it said that if insects were to be equipped with control mechanisms and other add-on kit, the equipment would require a power source.

The team rejected the idea of using miniature solar panels because they would be dependent on available light. So the group decided to develop a vibration energy collector.

The resulting device consists of a tiny three-layered spiral generator.

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Wikimedia Commons / Anaxibia (CC-BY-SA)

Note: These are not actual beetles used for research purposes.