China creates cyborg bees for military recognition operations

Thanks to miniaturization, drones become smaller and smaller. MIT had notably managed to create a drone of the insect size. Other researchers try to use what already exists in nature: why imitate insects, when it is possible to transform them directly into drones?

It is in any case the idea of a group of researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology, in China, who created a Cyborg bee. They managed to develop the lightest brain implant in the world, only 74 milligrams. The chip is placed on the back of the bee, and three needles are introduced into his brain to send him the orders.

An idea that recalls The Last of Us

The poor bee remains alive, transformed into a cyborg. It is the same principle as the cordyceps fungus that infects insects to transform them into zombies and take control of their brain. This is what inspired the researchers, and it is the same fungus as in the games and the series The Last of Us…

But why choose bees? Simply because this insect is used to transporting heavy loads. The bee is able to fly up to 5 kilometers without stopping, and transports nectar bags which can weigh up to 80 % of their own weight, a little more than the weight of the chip.

Thanks to the three needles located in the bee’s brain, the researchers were able to transmit four orders to it: turn left, turn right, move forward and retreat. It is enough to guide its trips, and it obeys in 90 % of cases.

The current problem is that to be powered, the chip must remain connected to an electric wire. To add a battery would make the system far too heavy for a bee. However, earlier this year, the researchers had presented a tiny piezoelectric generator which can be placed on the back of the bees. It generates energy thanks to the vibration of the wings, and weighs only 46 milligrams. Gathered, the two systems may be too heavy for bees. However, we imagine that it will be possible by combining them and optimizing everything, it will be possible to reduce the weight a little.

Miniatures of military recognition drones

What would cyborg bees would use? Military surveillance! In addition to being small, they are naturally camouflaged, unlike a drone of the same size that would be much more suspicious. They can also be used to seek survivors after an earthquake, according to the study which was published in the journal Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering. But the primary use would be military.

“” “Compared to synthetic alternatives, they show increased stealth and prolonged operational endurance, which makes them invaluable for secret recognition in scenarios such as urban fights, the fight against terrorism and the interception of narcotics, as well as for critical rescue operations in the event of a disaster“Said researchers …