Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a method by which they can remote-control the flight of live moths. Now researchers can manipulate moths' flight muscles and can also monitor the electrical signals these insects use to move their wings or fly.
Dr. Bozkurt, Assistant Professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the work, and his team has developed this technique by attaching electrodes to a moth during its plural stage -- the stage when the caterpillar is in a cocoon undergoing metamorphosis into its winged adult stage. The electrodes that attached to the muscle groups responsible for a moth's flight were able to monitor moths' electromyographic signals.
Bozkurt says, "By watching how the moth uses its wings to steer while in flight, and matching those movements with their corresponding electromyographic signals, we're getting a much better understanding of how moths maneuver through the air".
A wireless platform is suspended mid-air by electromagnets, which allows the moth to turn left and right and to move its wings. When the moth connected, the platform moves its muscle wings and the data is collected.
Using this setup, they are now working on a way of transmitting those signals to the moths as they're in flight, so that they could be "steered" by a remotely-located human operator.
Bozkurt mentions that attaching sensors to moths to create a flying network could be deployed in the wake of a disaster. A flexible, aerial sensor network can identify survivors or public health hazards. This technique could lead to a new generation of small-sized biobots that can be used for both military and civil purposes.
However, there's still plenty of work to be done before any winged creatures can be transformed into living drones or on-demand sensors.
via Science - Google News http://ift.tt/1mzJ4cD
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