In a groundbreaking experiment, Japanese researchers have turned cicadas into living speakers that can play music like cyborg loudspeakers, opening up new possibilities for energy-efficient emergency response systems.
The chirp of the cicada, a familiar sound of many summers, has received an electronic upgrade. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have turned these insects into living speakers that can play music like a cyborg loudspeaker.
Cicadas undergo a unique life cycle, emerging from underground as adults after several years.
They spend most of their lives as nymphs, feeding on plant sap before molting into adults.
The adult cicada's primary purpose is to mate and reproduce.
There are over 3,000 species of cicadas worldwide, with some species living up to 17 years underground before emerging.
Cicadas are known for their distinctive sounds, produced by males to attract females.
By borrowing inspiration from previous research on remote-controlled cockroaches, Naoto Nishida and his team used a similar approach to control the cicadas‘ chirp. The goal was to create an electronic upgrade that would allow the cicadas to produce any sound, not just their natural noise.
How It Works
Cicadas make noise using organs called timbals, which have thick ribs joined by thin membranes. When these membranes flex, they create a click, producing a continuous noise with a pitch determined by the frequency of the flexes. To take control of this process, the researchers implanted electrodes into seven large brown cicadas and used signals from a computer passed through an amplifier to induce noises at precisely controlled pitches.
The team was eventually able to induce the cicadas to accurately play music, capable of reproducing tones over more than three octaves. This was achieved by inducing the insects to produce sounds within a musical note A at 27.5 hertz and a C at 261.6 hertz.
Potential Applications
The researchers claim that cyborg insects could be used in emergency situations such as earthquakes, where they could provide an energy-efficient, durable, and agile alternative to electronic robots. The team’s work suggests that these insects could be used to spread warning messages during an emergency.
Scientists are developing cyborg insects by implanting microelectronics into their nervous systems.
This technology allows the insects to be controlled remotely, making them useful for search and rescue missions.
Cyborg cockroaches can navigate through rubble and detect gas leaks, while cyborg flies can track down specific scents.
These advancements have sparked interest in bio-inspired robotics, where engineers study the biology of insects to improve robotic design.
Interestingly, the cicadas were relatively unharmed by the experiments, with some being released back into the wild. When asked about the animals’ reactions, Naoto Nishida noted that ‘some of them wanted to run away,’ while others seemed more willing to participate in the experiment.
- newscientist.com | Hijacked cicadas play music like a cyborg loudspeaker
