Cyborg Locusts Will Soon Join the Army

Cyborg locusts could have both military and medical applications.

It seems that cyborg locusts will soon join the army as bomb scouts. Scientists are trying to take advantage of the complex anatomy of the insect and train them to search for mines without putting human lives at risk.

A team of researchers from the University of Washington in St. Louis have been experimenting with the idea of creating cyborg locusts. The robotic insects have a military application, improving the quality of homeland security.

Baranidharan Raman, a scientist from the University of Washington, declared that he and his team spent the last couple of years analyzing the way in which locusts smell. After pitching the idea of cyborg locusts to the US government, he received a $750,000 grand to continue the experiments for the next three years. The money came from the United States Naval Research Office.

A nanomaterials specialist, Professor Srikanth Singamaneni will be in charge of creating a plasmonic tag constructed from a special biocompatible silk. The “tattoo” will be fitted on the wings of the locusts. This will allow scientists to control the movement of the insects, making them move in specific patterns and towards precise locations.

According to the team, the insects will be fitted with a device resembling a minuscule backpack that will act as a transmitter of the data collected by the antennae. A small green light will flash when a scouted area is considered secure, and a red one will be activated when an explosive is found.

Raman and his team believe that the first prototypes will be ready within the year. If the experiments are successful, then the researchers believe that the cyborg locusts will be ready for action in less than two years.

Apart from the military applications of the retrofitted insects, Raman believes that the cyborg locusts will be helpful in detecting certain medical conditions that are diagnosable through smell. The professor added that the research is still in its early stages and that they will know more of the field applications of the design in a year’s time.

Locusts are apparently easier to use than dogs. The latter require a complicated set of surgeries in order to be fitted with sensors. Also, insects are nature’s robots with their keen senses and stealth capabilities.

Image source: Wikipedia

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Roxanne Briean

I am a geek, a gamer and a writer. I have always been fascinated with the online community. At the moment I work as a full-time writer and study interior design. When I'm not scouring the net in search of interesting new gadgets and software I spend my time in MOBAs or drawing.