A TEAM of scientists claim to have created the world’s lightest mind control device – for bees.
The tiny brain controller weighs just 74milligrams, which researchers say is lighter than a sack of nectar typically carried by a bee.
The team from the Beijing Institute of Technology, led by Professor Zhao Jieliang, said the system wires straight into the insects’ brains.
While the device is strapped to a bee’s back, three needles are pierced into the bee’s brain.
Operators can then send electronic pulses into the bee’s brain and command it to fly in whichever direction they want.
During tests, published in the Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering, the bees obeyed their operator’s commands with 90 per cent accuracy.
It’s similar to the so-called “zombie” fungus, cordyceps, which can infect insects and take control of their bodies.
It’s this fungus that was famously used as the premise for the zombie virus in the popular ‘The Last of Us’ franchise.
The sci-fi-like system, first reported by the South China Morning Post, printed the circuits onto polymer film – ultra-thin and flexible films that are used inside electronics.
The team behind the new technology believe swarms of mind-controlled insects could scout areas and help disaster relief operations.
However, they may also usher in a new type of surveillance state where every insect is potentially a spy.
“Insect-based robots inherit the superior mobility, camouflage capabilities, and environmental adaptability of their biological hosts,” Zhao and his colleagues wrote.
They added: “Compared to synthetic alternatives, they demonstrate enhanced stealth and extended operational endurance, making them invaluable for covert reconnaissance in scenarios such as urban combat, counterterrorism and narcotics interdiction, as well as critical disaster relief operations.”
Previously, the lightest bug cyborg controller developed in Singapore was triple the weight.
The device could command beetles and roaches – but the extra weight meant they became tired quickly.
With a more lightweight device, Zhao and his team believe they can better serve as military scouts.
