Fly steers mobile robot

In this video, a fruit fly steers a small robot through an obstacle course. The researchers at ETH Zurich's Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems glued a fly down in front of an array of LEDs and flashed patterns that tricked it into thinking it was flying. Data from a computer vision system trained on the fly's wings was then translated into commands for the mobile robot in the obstacle course. The robot was outfitted with sensors that triggered the appropriate light patterns on the LEDs. The whole shebang is called The Cyborg Fly. From IEEE Spectrum:

"As autonomous robots get smaller, their size and speed approach that of the biological counterparts from which they are often inspired," they write in the paper, adding that their technique could "be relevant to the tracking of micro and nano robots, where high relative velocities make them hard to folow and where robust visual position feedback is crucial for sensing and control..."

The Cyborg Fly is not the only "flight simulator" for bugs, and other research groups have used insects to control robots. But still, the ETH project stands out because of its high-speed vision component. This system could be useful not only for biology research, to study insect flight and track fast movements of appendages or the body, but also for industrial applications -- for monitoring a production line or controlling fast manipulators, for example.

"Cyborg Fly Pilots Robot Through Obstacle Course"

• [Anonymous]

  This is absolutely horriflying.

• [Brainspore]

  The whole shebang is called The Cyborg Fly.

  You missed a golden opportunity for “Flyborg,” you nincompoops.

  • [Anonymous]

    Opportunities to make our lives worse are ok to miss.

• [ian_b]

  connect this to those roaches controlled by electrical pulses and call it a day.

• [Anonymous]

  I for one welcome our fly driven robot Overlords…

• [Anonymous]

  How has no one made an “Ender’s Game” reference yet?

• [fallynstarr]

  This is horrifying and amazing at the same time. Poor little fruit fly.

• [TulsaTV]

  “Fly steers mobile robot”

  Oh. I thought this was about cybernetically-controlled replicas of really cool castrated bovines.

• [beeflin]

  Cruel – superglue on the skin is a hospital visit for humans so why impose it on another creature?

• [AllisonWunderland]

  when we get the patent on this one, let’s work on reusable toilet paper . . .

• [ackpht]

  This could be an interesting way to control the nano-UAVs that the military wants. Bzzzzzz…

• [Gisburne]

  If you glued a dog to a steering wheel you could get it to drive pretty much anything. Maybe. “Dog drives tank through city” is a BB headline I’ll be looking out for.

• [Phikus]

  I am the fly on the wall,
  My prying eyes are looking through your bottom drawer.
  I just came flying through your door,
  You didn’t notice that your number had been called.

  I see the mother who’s beating the babe,
  I see the money,
  The pennies you save,
  Stored on computers,
  From birth to the grave.

  The fly on the wall,
  He’s seeing it all.

  I am the fly upon the wall,
  You’re in the index of the files that stand so tall.
  Although your health is rather poor,
  We have a place for those who cannot find a cure.

  I know your income,
  Your daily crust,
  I know your pleasures,
  Your passion,
  Your lust,
  I know when you’re living and I know when you’re dust.

  The fly on the wall,
  He’s seeing it all.

  One is born and one will die, it’s all understood
  The bit that’s in the middle doesn’t count

  I am the fly on the wall,
  My prying eyes are looking through your bottom drawer.
  I just came flying through your door,
  You didn’t notice that your number had been called.

  I see the mother who’s beating the babe,
  I see the money,
  The pennies you save,
  Stored on computers,
  From birth to the grave.

  The fly on the wall,
  He’s seeing it all. I am the fly

  I am the fly upon the wall,
  You’re in the index of the files that stand so tall.
  Although your health is rather poor,
  We have a place for those who cannot find a cure.

  I know your income,
  Your daily crust,
  I know your pleasures,
  Your passion,
  Your lust,
  I know when you’re living and I know when you’re dust.

  The fly on the wall,
  He’s seeing it all.

  Heeeelp meeeeeeeeee!

• [Mitch]

  How are they going to get the glue off the fly when the experiment is done?

• [Osprey101]

  FINALLY. Some practical research I can use in my own life!

• [Anonymous]

  I’m glad to see this…it’s one step away from my concept of the fish-driven car.

  Somewhere in your car there’s a small fishtank. Sensors detect the position and speed of neighboring cars. This information is projected onto the walls of the fishtank in the form of other swimming fish. The real fish negotiates its way through the virtual school of fish. Its movements are tracked and transmitted to the car’s control system.

  Heavy traffic? Cars going every which way? No problem. Take a nap. Let Goldy handle it.

• [scorzonera]

  ok – they’re a bit thick. Am I alone in thinking this is cruel?

  • [Anonymous]

    Apparently.