Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley have done the somewhat impossible: Control the free will of a fellow living creature.

They have jointly developed a living machine -- in this case, giant flower beetles -- that can be wirelessly controlled by humans via an electronic backpack with a built-in wireless receiver and transmitter.

Radio signals received remotely every millisecond are converted into orders that direct the beetles to take off, turn left or right, or even hover in mid-flight.

From their March 18, 2015 press release, they explain how they partially infringe on the free will of the beetle:

Unlike typical remote-controlled synthetic drones, there is no need for constant human control as the beetle is able to maintain flight stability. Human intervention is only needed to change the intended direction.

The beetle will then take care of the rest of journey, manoeuvring around obstacles and crawling into small confined spaces, up to 100 metres.

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The materials used to build the high-tech backpack cost less than S$10, and the electronics are easy to build with mostly off-the-shelf components.

It is operated by a microprocessor, which not only combines thousands of transistors onto a 1-cm square chip, but comes with a built-in wireless receiver.

The microchip is strapped onto the beetle using organic beeswax, which is harmless to the beetle’s carapace and could be easily removed.

Six electrodes from the microprocessor are connected to the beetle’s optic lobes and flight muscles. Signals received wirelessly influence the insect to take off, turn left or right, or even hover in mid-flight.

Although the entire setup is powered by a 3.9 volt micro lithium battery, which provides more than enough power to last an entire day, it would one day operate without it.

Why was this beetle chosen?

Mainly because it is big and hardy enough.

The giant flower beetle, scientifically known as Mecynorrhina torquata, averages about 6 centimetres in length and weighs as much as two Singapore $1 coins, which is about 8 grams.

Despite its size, it can lift relatively heavy loads such as a small microphone and thermal sensor, crucial for search-and-rescue missions.

The detachable high-tech backpack is harmless to the beetle. The giant insect goes on to live normally and fulfills its regular, adult lifespan which is about five to six months.

Assistant Professor Hirotaka Sato from the NTU School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who led the project, said: “By sending a signal to the beetle, we are able to simply change its direction of movement and the beetle will manage the rest.

“This technology could prove to be an improved alternative to remote-controlled drones as it could go into areas which are not accessible before. For example, it could be used in search-and-rescue missions as it could go into small nooks and crevices in a collapsed building to locate injured survivors."

Michel Maharbiz, associate professor at UC Berkeley's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences said: “Our long term vision is to show that we can remotely induce an insect to fly, control its turns when required, and then stop it when the insect reached a set location – all done repeatedly and reliably.”

In the future, the overall rig may not even use batteries but could be powered from sustainable sources, such as energy scavenged from ambient radio waves, said Prof Sato, lead author of the study.

The joint NTU-UC Berkeley study was published on March 16 in Current Biology, a leading peer-reviewed journal that showcases top biomedical research.

Prof Sato is a recipient of NTU’s prestigious Nanyang Assistant Professorship award which recognises exceptional young academics with research grants up to $1 million.

The research project was supported by NTU, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore (A*STAR) and the National Science Foundation in the United States.

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