14 DAY TRIAL // Pigeons have wrapped in their whitest product the central square?
No problem, here comes the solution: scientists in eastern China have succeeded to remote control the flight of pigeons with micro electrodes implanted in their brains. "Scientists at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University of Science and Technology said their electrodes could command them to fly right or left or up or down," announced Xinhua news agency. "The implants stimulate different areas of the pigeon's brain according to electronic signals sent by the scientists via computer, mirroring natural signals generated by the brain, and force the bird to comply with the operator's instructions" said Su Xuecheng, the center's chief scientist. "It's the first such successful experiment on a pigeon in the world," said Su.
The same team had previously tried something similar with lab mice two years ago, with improvements in device design and technology as one of the leading reasons for which this trial worked.
The researchers are now improving the devices used in the experiment and hoped that the technology could be put into practical use in the future, but the Chinese researchers did not specify exactly how the remote-control pigeon would be utilized in real-world applications.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is also making investigations on the field of controlling animals, turning marine life into front line scouts. Earlier this year, DARPA announced a project to actively manipulate a shark's brain signal, allowing scientists to accurately control the shark's movements. This technology would be used to help these 'stealth sharks' patrol the open seas like underwater spies.
The US Army wants to exploit the sharks' natural ability to glide quietly through the water, sense delicate electrical gradients and follow chemical trails. By remotely guiding the sharks, the Army could follow enemy vessels without being spotted. As progress on the project continues, DARPA will release blue sharks implanted with the devices off the coast of Florida.