This graphic shows the track of a cockroach controlled by human mind. (Photo/xinmin.cn)
(ECNS) - A human mind has successfully controlled a "cyborg" cockroach, making it walk in various patterns, according to researchers at Shanghai Jiaotong University.
A "mind-to-mind" connection was established to allow a human to remotely control a cockroach's behavior by sending brain signals through a wireless device.
Upon receiving visual stimulus, the human controller made a decision regarding a direction for the insect to take. The resulting brain signals were picked up by a wireless device worn on the controller's head, researchers said.
A computer program translated the signal into radio waves, which were transmitted to a pack attached to the cockroach. The pack contained a microelectrode attached to the antennae nerve in the insect's brain.
Bluetooth technology enabled the wireless connection between the human and the cockroach. The human brain signals were translated into electrical pulses that dictated the cockroach's behavior, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.
The "cyborg" cockroach won the second place award at the 2015 IEEE RAS SAC Video Contest.
In 2012, researchers from Zhejiang University used similar technology to enable a monkey to control a robotic arm.
