Beetles are now being controlled by scientists. They're called "cyborg beetles."

Scientists are using radio transmitters and mini electronics backpacks attached to the backs of giant flower beetles to control these insects in flight.

Scientists said they can learn a lot about the biology of beetles by using this invention. University of California, Berkeley and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU) engineers led the cyborg beetle research and are continuously looking for new insights into how these cyborgs behave.

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Every action of the beetles like taking off and landing; flying to the right or left or even hovering in mid-flight depends on radio commands, according to the scientists.

Researchers said the electronics used for the movements of insects have been used before but it's believed this is the first scientific demonstration using radio commands to control the fine aerial movements of flying beetles.

"Beetles are ideal study subjects because they can carry relatively heavy payloads," said Hirotaka Sato of the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

"We could easily add a small microphone and thermal sensors for applications in search-and-rescue missions. With this technology, we could safely explore areas not accessible before, such as the small nooks and crevices in a collapsed building".

The study discusses the significant involvement of tiny microprocessors and the built-in wireless receivers along with transmitters placed on the giant flower beetles. The device is powered by a 3.9 volt lithium battery and is connected to six micro-electrodes implanted into the insect's wing-folding coleopteran muscles.

The demonstration shows that tiny electrodes are the answer to controlling these insects.

The new study was published in the journal, Current Biology.

TagsCyborg Beetle Unravel the Mechanism of Flying Insects, cyborg beetle, beetle, Insects, microprocessor, insect transmitter