Fly guns
There is an opinion that for the further development of progress, it is necessary to study the achievements of nature and copy them as much as possible. According to another opinion, it is necessary to study natural "technologies" and try to rebuild them to your own requirements. It is in the second direction that work is now underway in Aviation laboratories of the Israel Institute of Technology. Professor D. Weichs and Dr. G. Riback are currently exploring the possibilities of creating small but promising cyborgs.Information about these experiments appeared in the newspaper Ha'aretz. The title of the work was not specified, but Israeli journalists did not fail to note the fact that research funds were allocated by the Pentagon. Probably, such a detail was published, as they say, to revive the material. The task of the research is to find patterns between the actions of the nervous system of insects (in the experiments flies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, etc.) and their actions are used. In perspective, this may allow the insect's body to be controlled, like a radio-controlled toy.
The prospects for this trend, as Israeli scientists believe, are great. In the future, "radio-controlled flies" can be used as unobtrusive means of observation and reconnaissance. That is the purpose of a promising project to explain simply. At present, the development of technology goes from large to small, which, however, does not make the cost of an object proportional to its size - microelectronics and microtechnology sometimes turn out to be much more expensive than large ones. Hence, there are significant difficulties in creating an aircraft of comparable size with insects. It is required to assemble in very small dimensions the target equipment (camera or microphone with transmitter), engine and propeller, control system and power supply for all systems. It turns out that you need to do four not so simple things at once. In turn, if you install the target equipment on the insect, the problem with the "chassis" and partly with the power supply systems will be solved. However, in this case, a radically new control system will be required, which will convert the radio signal from the control panel into a form that the muscular system of the insect can understand.
From this principle follows the need to create signatures of various electrical signals of the nervous system of a fly or dragonfly. It is in this direction that Weiss and Ribac are currently working. Their experiments are as follows: an insect fixed on a special stand is placed in a small wind tunnel. Further, the propeller is turned on and under the action of the oncoming flow of air a fly or a beetle is forced to flap its wings as if they are really flying. This whole process is recorded on a high-speed video camera. In addition to the camera, a special system of electrodes is used to record the behavior of insects, which is put on the experimental body and transmits the signals of its nervous system to a computer. Next is the analysis of video recordings and nerve impulses. At the moment, it was possible to make a "map" in which the configuration of the nerve impulse and the action of the muscles of the insect are interconnected. At the same time, Israeli scientists do not propose to use the data “as is” in the future. It is assumed that an insect with intelligence equipment will fly independently - it already knows this very well - and specially modulated signals will be used only to correct the course and things like that.
With management, at least, with its conceptual part, it seems to be sorted out. Remained target equipment and power source. At present, there are already laboratory samples of photo and video cameras, as well as microphones, which, together with the transmitter, can be entered into weight and size parameters suitable for insects. Probably, by the time the first experimental "radio-controlled flies" are ready, corresponding samples of reconnaissance equipment will appear. As for the power source for all electronics, they, even indirectly, can become the very body of the insect carrier. So, at the University of Michigan (USA), some success has been achieved in this area. They have already made a special generator that can generate electricity, consuming the energy of movement of the wings of the beetle carrier. Also in Michigan were able to implant a cochlea microscopic fuel cells of their own design. As we can see, there is little progress in the area of electronics nutrition for insect scouts.
It should be noted that Israeli scientists, although they are on the right path, are not pioneers. Back in 2009, at the American University of Berkeley, under the auspices of the DARPA agency, an elephant beetle (Megasoma elephas) was “tamed”. On the back (on the prothorax) of the beetle, a microcontroller was installed with a built-in battery, receiver, signal decoder, and electrode system. As a result, the beetle began to fly exactly as scientists wanted. He did not lose the ability to move independently. According to unverified information, they are currently working at the University of Berkeley to increase the maximum duration of the flight of the beetle. It seems that the Americans have mastered the principle, but so far they are not trying to adapt it to practical application and simply continue research on the topic.
However, there is another reason that neither the authors of the project nor the DARPA agency are trying to bring the “radio-controlled insects” to practical, including military, use. The insect is unable to raise a more or less decent current source, and the existing generators are too weak. Therefore, a fly or a scout beetle can transmit information from a camera or microphone only for a very small distance. It is unlikely that counterintelligence will not notice the enemy spy with a control panel, which is openly hanging around the secret object. And no stealth insect equipment will not help him. It remains only peaceful use, for example, in rescue operations. So, a cockroach with a microcontroller can inspect a destroyed building and find survivors. A small radius of action relative to the control panel in such a situation is not as critical as with espionage.
Asking D. Weisch and G. Ribak, the journalist of the newspaper “Haaretz” took an interest in the ethical side of the matter. Indeed, now around the world from time to time there are actions in support of experimental animals, including overtly extremist ones. Israeli scientists assured that when implanted electrodes insects do not experience any discomfort. And scientists are not engaged in surgery. But where the big question of ethics, with a certain approach, may be the fact that the "innocent animal" begins to completely obey the will of man. Against the background of protests, even against such a harmless thing as dressure, it all looks pretty provocative. In time, probably, animal advocates will turn their attention to radio-controlled flies. In the meantime, they do not protest and do not interfere with work, the Americans and Israelis can safely continue their research. Perhaps in a very distant future, their work on the interaction of modulated electrical signals with the muscular system will also be useful in medicine.
Information