Zooillogix

In a breakthrough heralded by some as "a major advancement toward the annihilation of the human species," a military contractor known as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is utilizing robotic hybrid insects for surveillance and intel gathering. Using microelectromechanical systems or (MEMS), researchers are able to control the movements and flight of insects with a remote control and a GPS system.

Big Mothra is watching...

Darpa is funding four research groups at various universities for a four-phased development/deployment strategy. The third phase is the demonstration of a remote-controlled, "tethered" insect and then positioning the insect within 5 meters of a target from 100 meters away. The fourth phase...

...as stated in this article in the EE Times includes "breeding insect battalions." We suggest a fifth phase in the program: Drop to your knees and accept Jesus Christ, Allah, Jaweh, or Bringham Young as your lord and savior, ASAP! Remember, you only get one, so choose wisely.

"What? That? Oh that's just a new hat I bought. Now go on, you were saying that America is the great Satan...."

The universities are focusing on moths and horned beetles as their subjects.

Says Peter Eckersley, a staff technologist at the Electronics Frontier Foundation, a non-robotic, watch-dog group, "Anyone who is just a little bit creative can imagine both useful and non-productive applications of remote-controlled animals--especially if ordinary people will mistake them for normal animals." Just reading that sentence we came up with 10 non-productive applications of a cyborg animal...this guy ain't kidding!

The cyborg insects or as we have decided to call them, "robugs," will most likely be used initially for surveillance, intelligence gathering, secret-meeting listening, sniffing air for chemicals and tracking targets. Their further uses, however, are truly intriguing.

The President and CEO of Darpa in front of one of his first projects (early 1990's)

Thomas Easton, the author of Sparrowhawk, a book at accurately predicted the use of cyborg animals, postulates (also quoted in the EE Times article), "Moths are extraordinarily sensitive to sex attractants, so instead of giving bank robbers money treated with dye, they could use sex attractants instead...then, a moth-based HI-MEMS could find the robber by following the scent."

How do you spot the bank robber of the future? He's the guy at the bus stop who's being humped by 175 moths. Case closed!