Scientists developing remote-control cyborg moths

Remote-controlled moths or 'biobots' may be used in future search and rescue operations!

Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have developed methods for electronically manipulating the flight muscles of moths and for monitoring the electrical signals moths use to control those muscles.

The advance opens the door to the development of remotely-controlled moths, or "biobots" for use in emergency response, researchers said. "In the big picture, we want to know whether we can control the movement of moths for use in applications such as search and rescue operations," said Dr Alper Bozkurt, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University and co-author of the research paper.

"The idea would be to attach sensors to moths in order to create a flexible, aerial sensor network that can identify survivors or public health hazards in the wake of a disaster," said Bozkurt.

The research presents a technique Bozkurt developed, in conjunction with Dr Amit Lal of Cornell University, for attaching electrodes to a moth during its pupal stage, when the caterpillar is in a cocoon undergoing metamorphosis into its winged adult stage. By attaching electrodes to the muscle groups responsible for a moth's flight, Bozkurt's team is able to monitor electromyographic signals - the electric signals the moth uses during flight to tell those muscles what to do.

The moth is connected to a wireless platform that collects the electromyographic data as the moth moves its wings.

To give the moth freedom to turn left and right, the entire platform levitates, suspended in mid-air by electromagnets.

"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 manoeuvre through the air," Bozkurt said.

"We're optimistic that this information will help us develop technologies to remotely control the movements of moths in flight," Bozkurt said.

"That's essential to the overarching goal of creating biobots that can be part of a cyberphysical sensor network," Bozkurt said.

The research was published in the Journal of Visualised Experiments (JoVE).