Scientists from the University of Washington (USA) have developed a sensor backpack, which can be put on large beetles. This robot backpack carries a tiny movie camera that could shoot and stream video with a frequency of 1-5 frames per second. This allows you to literally see the world through the eyes of beetles.
These “microscopic GoPro” was designed specifically for two species of beetles Pinacate beetle belonging to the genus of darkling beetles, desert blue beetle, Asbolus verrucosus. They were selected for the ability to carry up to polugramma weight at a time.
The unit only weighs a quarter gram, relieves monochrome video and consumes very little energy. It can be rotated 60° at the command of the remote operator. The backpack is installed accelerometer, which includes a picture only when a beetle is moving. The whole system can work 6 hours on a single charge.
“The new camera will allow us to explore multiple aspects of insect life, – says co-author with Vikram of the. For example, with its help we will be able to study how beetles respond to different incentives that they use in nature. In addition, bugs can get in such landscapes that create the real difficulties of micro-robots of similar size. This will allow for observation or to collect specimens in remote places.”
Source — University of Washington