Cyborg Insects Could Be First Responders in Rescue Situations

A group at the University of Michigan has a plan to unleash cyborg insects equipped with sensors as first responders in dangerous environments.

The bugs carry small devices on their backs that harvest the energy of wing movements, and use it to power cameras, microphones, sensors and communication equipment.

"Through energy scavenging, we could potential power cameras, microphones and other sensors and communication equipment that an insect could carry aboard a tiny backpack," says Professor Khalil Najafi, chair of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan. "We could send these 'bugged' bugs into dangerous or enclosed environments where we would not want humans to go."

via ScienceDaily