# DARPA implants surveillance tech in a Moth **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 9, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937 "2007-08-09T00:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/1 "2007-08-09T00:27:05Z")
[http://www.slate.com/id/2171923/entry/2171925/nav/ais/](http://www.slate.com/id/2171923/entry/2171925/nav/ais/) > [@](#): > > I’m so enchanted by the PowerSwim that I almost miss the insect cyborgs tucked away in the corner. The latest innovation from DARPA’s Office of Creepy Technologies comes from Dr. Amit Lal, who wants to use controllable flying insects for surveillance missions. So far, his teams of engineers have managed to implant electrodes into moths during the pupa stage of early development, with minimal tissue damage. Video monitors show the insects as fully grown adults that can be induced to flap their wings in any direction. They’re also working on a way to use the moth’s living body—its movements and metabolism—as a power source for the implant’s electronics. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/2 "2007-08-09T01:08:05Z")
Interesting. I’ve heard of the Japanese doing the same thing with cockroaches. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/3 "2007-08-09T02:43:33Z")
What’s the debate? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/4 "2007-08-09T03:29:54Z")
Does the military’s reckless moth cyborg experiment endanger all humanity, or will the resulting giant monster be fought off by Godzilla? Daniel ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/5 "2007-08-09T07:45:46Z")
I’m all for this, seeing as we haven’t had enough Philip K. Dick novels becoming reality lately. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/6 "2007-08-09T13:37:17Z")
I’m looking forward to being able to buy radio-controlled spiders in toyshops/petshops. Or being able to hook up with a few thousand friends and have locust wars. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/7 "2007-08-09T13:47:01Z")
[QUOTE=ITR champion] seeing as we haven’t had enough Philip K. Dick novels becoming reality lately. [/QUOTE] Were human controlled insects in a specific Dick novel/short story? Asking as I’m wondering whether to dive into the large pile of books I have in my room or go back home and start again on my collection of Dick and I whet my appetite with the short story about spiders and birds saving mankind from insects. Thinking about it, insects played a big part in “The Cosmic Puppets”, don’t they? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/8 "2007-08-10T18:50:32Z")
If they can place cameras on insects, a lot of super-models are going to need bug-zappers and screens. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darpa-implants-surveillance-tech-in-a-moth/414937/9 "2007-08-10T19:02:03Z")
I can imagine the countermeasures coming up: Raid, Kills Bugs and BUGS Dead.