Researchers create robo-moth, dream of a cyborg cricket-filled future

Researchers have long turned to insects for a little inspiration when creating robots, but things have entered a terrifying new dimension this week, with two separate groups each finding new ways to meld bug and machine. The further along of the pair is a group of scientists from Tokyo University's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, who have not only used a live silkmoth to control a toy car, but severed the head of a moth and wired it into the vehicle pictured above (look closely). By directing stimuli to the moth's still-functioning antennae, the researchers were able to record the motor commands issued by the brain's nerve cells and, in turn, control the vehicle -- which, in addition to totally freaking people out, allows them to study and record data on how neurons respond to stimulus. Full story...