7. Remote Controlled Rats
It’s everybody’s worst nightmare – rats that can stalk you and keep tabs on what you’re up to. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction – or a particularly dark Pixar film – but we all live in the future now and this sort of thing is happening as we speak. Almost inevitably, the military are involved.
Scientists at the University of California developed cyborg beetles by implanting electronic components in the pupae stage. The insects could then be controlled via a receiver unit and instructed how and where to fly, all remotely. The experiment was then pushed a stage further with the miniaturisation of microprocessors and batteries, meaning that the payload that a beetle or rat carries can be larger, potentially carrying heat sensors or small cameras.
The army hope that the breakthrough means that rats or flying beetles can be used in search-and-rescue missions or for surveillance. While the development of this technology could break boundaries in the field of combat, the thought of the government spying on you from behind a beady pair of eyes and whiskers is undeniably creepy.
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