The idea of being a fly on the wall has long fascinated scientists and writers throughout the centuries; the incredible ability to hear, see and be undetected by others in any desired spot, is undoubtedly the ultimate act of espionage. But up until now, it's been largely the stuff of fiction.
But thanks to DARPA, the Pentagon's main research group on all things robotic, remote controlled insects are one step closer to active deployment.
DARPA already has a successful track record on military robotics, some of which are already helping to transform the battlefield through a number of custom designed video-enabled battle droids, eager to flush out enemy sites. Their partnership with Boston Dynamics has produced arguably their most famous design - the BigDog - a cyborg hound that looks and acts like a regular four legged canine.
According to a research article found in frontiers in integrative neuralscience, DARPA's micro sized robobugs are not just a mechanical adaption of the real thing - they are the real thing; tiny electrodes have been implanted into the brains and wing muscles of unsuspecting insect volunteers.
A microbattery compliments the cyborg additions, allowing researchers to change the insect's direction of flight by triggering various wing muscles. Beatles involved in the research were chosen for their abilities to hold 30% greater loads - a trick shared with the average ant - another insect possibly in line for a DARPA sponsored robo-conversion.
The demonstration video above illustrates just how effectively electrical pulses can be used to help to push the insects around the room. Still, as the video clearly shows, accurate navigation of the insects is still a little further into the future.
These micro sized 'weapons' of war open up vast possibilities for battlefield use, particularly unmanned aerial surveillance and highly specialised reconnaissance missions - if a micro camera could be fitted onto the insects.