Researchers have developed a method for electronically manipulating the flight muscles of moths to create a "cyborg."
The work could lead to the development of remote-controlled moths or "biobots" to be used for emergency response, North Carolina State University reported.
"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 NC State and co-author of a paper on the work. "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."
The researchers attached electrodes to a moth during its pupal stage, in which the caterpillar is in its cocoon undergoing its metamorphosis into a winged adult. The technique involves methods developed to improve our understanding of how a moth coordinates its muscles during flight. The researchers monitored the electromyographic signals the moth uses during flight to tell the muscles what to do.
In the experiment the moth is connected to a wireless platform that collects the electromyographic data; the platform swivels to allow the moth to move left and right.
"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," 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."
The next steps will be to develop and automated system to control moth flight, that is smaller and allows the insect to fly free.
The findings were published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE).
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