Cyborg cockroach or biobots motion-controlled via direct neural stimulation, at North Carolina State University
▻http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/newsroom/img/mt/2014/11/Bozkurt_Roach_Full/lead.jpg?netwpz
▻http://news.ncsu.edu/2014/11/bozkurt-roach-biobot-2014
Advances in neural engineering have enabled direct control of insect locomotion. Insect biobots, with a natural ability to crawl through small spaces, offer unique advantages over traditional synthetic robots. A cyberphysical network of such biobots could prove useful for search and rescue applications in uncertain disaster environments. Our previous work has demonstrated control of Madagascar hissing cockroaches using a Kinect-based computer vision platform. We now demonstrate lowpower insect-mounted acoustic sensors for future use in both environmental mapping and localization of trapped survivors. Our experimentation has shown the capability of an insect mounted array of microphones to localize a sound source.
The goal is to use the biobots with high-resolution microphones to differentiate between sounds that matter – like people calling for help – from sounds that don’t matter – like a leaking pipe,” Bozkurt says. “Once we’ve identified sounds that matter, we can use the biobots equipped with microphone arrays to zero in on where those sounds are coming from.
Article in The Atlantic about it:
▻http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/this-cyborg-cockroach-could-save-your-life-someday/382539
Previous research with Kinect movion-steering of cockroaches
▻http://news.ncsu.edu/2013/06/wms-bozkurt-roach-autopilot