DARPA solicits bids for insect cyborgs

PETA supporters take note, because DARPA has just revealed plans for expanding its ever-growing army of animal soldiers: armed attack dolphins, spy turtles, and remote-controllable sharks could soon be joined by swarms of sensor-laden surveillance insects in monitoring, attacking, and generally confusing our enemies, if the advanced research agency's latest bid proposal proves successful, according to the BBC. Would-be submitters must be able to fabricate MEMs that can be implanted into bugs at the pupa stage for integration into biological systems during development, and must prove that they can guide their creations to within three meters of a target from a minimum distance of 100 meters. Independent scientists contacted by the BBC were skeptical about this project at best -- citing both the difficulty in remotely gathering data from such small sensors as well as in coaxing insects to do anything besides eat and mate -- with reactions running the gamut from "fiction" to "wacky" to "ludicrous." That's DARPA for you- always spending our tax dollars with thoughtfulness and efficiency.

[Via The Raw Feed]

[Dan @ Mar 15th 2006 7:22PM]

"That's DARPA for you- always spending our tax dollars with thoughtfulness and efficiency."

It's worth noting that DARPA, unlike Al Gore, actually did invent the internet. I'd say that one worked out, wouldn't you?

[Zombie Flanders @ Mar 15th 2006 7:41PM]

I don't know, if you can think it, it can happen. Sure, the brain that thinks "too small, too complex...impossible" is in fact made up of an as-yet-incomprehensible-to-humans sized network of neurons. However, the brain of an ant is much simpler. I'd think it wouldn't be impossible to manipulate a couple hundred neurons (think circuits), when you can put millions of them on computer chips which aren't all that much bigger.

[Brandon @ Mar 15th 2006 8:04PM]

Yes, very good.... We hope you continue to find this research "ludicrous"... Don't worry about us. We're just out messing around.

Go back to your lives and don't give us a second thought.
Have a great, productive day.

[furtim @ Mar 15th 2006 8:10PM]

Just a minor nitpick: MEMS is an acronym for "MicroElectroMechanical Systems", so the "S" should be capitalised.

[dejAL @ Mar 15th 2006 8:16PM]

"That's DARPA for you- always spending our tax dollars with thoughtfulness and efficiency."

Of course you glanced at this before writing the sentence above:

http://www.darpa.mil/body/pdf/transition.pdf

Looks like a pretty high batting average to me.

[Elliott @ Mar 15th 2006 8:24PM]

I, for one, welcome our new insect cyborg overlords.

[Spooch @ Mar 15th 2006 8:30PM]

...this cant be real? Now imagine that such "bio-tech" could also be used to invade our homes, big brother shall be pleased to see some of you shaving your nipple hairs... yea thats right, I know you do it.

...Now manipulation of such a simple brian shall be impossible. This is bull.

[invaderluj @ Mar 15th 2006 8:37PM]

ah yes...the old cricket camera

i just can't wait for the explosive swarm of flies

[ScottE @ Mar 15th 2006 9:00PM]

"Now manipulation of such a simple brian shall be impossible."

Of Course, Brians are way too simple to be controlled by the likes of Darpa.

P.S. Kids, remember to proofread your posts

[John Schaefer @ Mar 15th 2006 9:30PM]

Heh. A little bit of engineering-and-science-is-incomprehensible-and-wasteful Luddism festers in the dark reaches of the Engadget offices, eh? 8^)

DARPA has a pretty good engineering record, last time I checked. You even cover their gadgets on occasion, i.e. autonomous motor vehicles, etc., etc., etc....and as noted above, we're all using DARPA's neat-o "Arpanet" project to read the ads on your site that fund your paycheck. Plenty of less-visionary-and-inventive-than-DARPA folks called that one "fiction", "wacky" and "ludicrous," too.

[Jonah @ Mar 15th 2006 10:27PM]

If I had seen this three months ago, I'd probably have laughed and never given it a second thought. But then I saw this article about honey bees being able to recognize human faces (Scientific American or Psychology Today, can't recall which):

http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/051209_beesfrm.htm

Kind of makes me think twice, anyways.

[Das Grammar Police @ Mar 15th 2006 11:22PM]

"9. "Now manipulation of such a simple brian shall be impossible."

Of Course, Brians are way too simple to be controlled by the likes of Darpa.

P.S. Kids, remember to proofread your posts "

I think you meant "Of course" instead of "Of Course" and DARPA instead of Darpa. Also, you might have meant to add a period at the end, thus making your closing line a complete sentence.

P.S. Kids, judge not lest ye be judged.

[Chris @ Mar 16th 2006 4:02AM]

I always wanted a cyborg grasshopper...

But you know, I saw this movie once called "Mimic".

[Rory @ Mar 16th 2006 4:59AM]

To late, to late to add to the silliness of your DARPA comment. So like you chaps will have to content myself with being way behind the curve in this wacky fail safe nodal communications tax inefficient idiot system funded by those no good US tax dollars.

[Kyle @ Mar 16th 2006 6:55AM]

Awesome.... I want one!

[Peter @ Mar 16th 2006 8:41AM]

OK that settles it.

Home security will now be added here - surround the house with bug zappers and buy several cases of bug spray! :)

[JS @ Mar 16th 2006 8:56AM]

And to think that on the way to work this AM I heard on NPR that Congress is voting to raise the national debt limit. Now why would we ever need the National Debt Limit raised.....cyborg bugs anyone? Sheesh

[tiuk @ Mar 16th 2006 1:46PM]

Remember the spiders in Minority Report that were sent into apartment buildings to look for Tom Cruise?

...yeah.

[Alan @ Mar 18th 2006 2:22PM]

Ummmm.... That destroys my disney beliefs of Jimeny Cricket now its Jimeny Cricket the Spy.... that would be a great movie!

[justice @ Mar 19th 2006 11:09AM]

it's the beginig of the end, it's not just for surveillance of enemy's but surveillance of our own American people it's not for the better. George Orwell anyone?

[enoch @ Mar 19th 2006 4:18PM]

To the responder of this;
1. "That's DARPA for you- always spending our tax dollars with thoughtfulness and efficiency."

It's worth noting that DARPA, unlike Al Gore, actually did invent the internet. I'd say that one worked out, wouldn't you?

Posted at 7:22PM on Mar 15th 2006 by Dan 0 stars


You are not accurate.The internet was originally based on work done by Louis Pouzin in France, taken up by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn in the US in the 1970's. The web however was invented and developed entirely by Tim Berners-Lee and a small team at CERN during 1989-1994. The story of the Internet and the Web can be read in "How the Web was born"
Oh the morphogenic field how it blossoms.

[Christian Brown @ Mar 19th 2006 6:59PM]

I oughtta join DARPA. Sounds like a cool company. :D

[Malachi @ Mar 19th 2006 10:37PM]

Man i have to stock up on Raid now =/. I knew i shouldve crushed that roach yesterday >,

[The Real Grammer Police @ Mar 19th 2006 11:25PM]

"9. "Now manipulation of such a simple brian shall be impossible."

Of Course, Brians are way too simple to be controlled by the likes of Darpa.

P.S. Kids, remember to proofread your posts "

I think you meant "Of course" instead of "Of Course" and DARPA instead of Darpa. Also, you might have meant to add a period at the end, thus making your closing line a complete sentence.

P.S. Kids, judge not lest ye be judged.

-----------------------------------------

One particular elementary piece of grammer is yet to be corrected. Unless DARPA is attempting to control insects named Brian, I believe you meant to say: "Of Course,*Brains* are way too simple to be controlled by the likes of Darpa."

P.S. Kids, If in doubt ask a 6th grader to proofread.

[jeremie @ Mar 20th 2006 3:20AM]

brain manipulation..huh the medias been doing it for years...oh a comercial....i need to go to taco bell//lol

[Bluejay @ Mar 20th 2006 5:17AM]

" One particular elementary piece of grammer is yet to be corrected.
...
P.S. Kids, If in doubt ask a 6th grader to proofread.

Posted at 11:25PM on Mar 19th 2006 by The Real Grammer Police "

"Grammar." :)

Thank you to the poster of the "Insect Cyborg" article. Manipulation of animals (and people) for the purpose of warmaking is heinous.

[David W. Rochlin @ Apr 3rd 2006 4:57AM]

There was some scientist who claimed, recently, to be able to train yellow jacket, wasps to find drugs or explosives in five minutes. Perhaps this might be the "Killer" Application.

[progressivevoice @ Apr 25th 2008 5:48AM]

New article on these cyborg insects says they'll be weaponized! Scary stuff!

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174912/nick_turse_the_pentagon_s_battle_bugs