China puts pigeons on remote control

February 27th, 2007

Lending a technological revamp to pigeon-based messaging services, Chinese scientists have succeeded in hacking bird brains with micro-electrodes, allowing them to control the pigeon’s flight. From El Reg:

Xinhua news agency explained today that boffins at the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center at Shandong University of Science and Technology were able to “command [the pigeons] to fly right or left or up or down. It elaborated: “The implants stimulate different areas of the pigeon’s brain according to signals sent by the scientists via computer, and force the bird to comply with their commands.”

Reports that the Pentagon has approved $10 million of funding for laser-guided sparrowhawks could not be confirmed at the time of press.

* UPDATE: Picture added, via Mutant Palm! *

Entry Filed under: General