Cyborg dragonflies: Research achievement or another sign of the robot apocalypse?
The idea of combining organic material with biomechanical parts has been a staple of comic books and sci-fi stories since the 1960s. From the Cybermen and The Borg to Darth Vader and Cyborg, the marriage of flesh and machine has fascinated our imaginations ever since childhood. But now cybernetic organisms are making the leap into the real world courtesy of the DragonflEye program, which is creating cyborg dragonflies.
According to Sophie Weiner for Popular Mechanics: "Researchers at Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Howard Hughes Medical Institute present DragonflEye, an insanely futuristic cyborg dragonfly that researchers can remote control.
DragonflEye was created by genetically modifying regular dragonflies with 'steering neurons' in the insect's spinal cord, which are light sensitive. Tiny, fiber-optic-like structures in the dragonfly's eyes send pulses of light to their brains, functionally controlling where the insect flies via remote control. The dragonfly also carries a miniature 'backpack' with sensors and a minuscule solar panel to power the data collection technology. In theory, the dragonfly will be able to be steered by the researchers and will collect data via its sensors from environments that aren't safe for humans."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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