I suspect researching basic cybernetic interfaces must be part of it; but it's also very difficult to make a functioning robot insect (that is, one the size of the actual bug). I know they're working on it, but they just don't have actuators and batteries that will do the job yet.
That could change quickly, but for now, cyborgs are comparatively simple. Several years ago I saw an episode of Scientific American Frontiers where they ripped out a cockroach's antennae and replaced them with electrodes. From then on, they could literally steer the thing wherever they wanted it to go. It would be simple to switch to a wireless interface, add a camera and audio pickup, and thus recruit the world's smallest, creepiest spy.
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RE: Just wait...
I suspect researching basic cybernetic interfaces must be part of it; but it's also very difficult to make a functioning robot insect (that is, one the size of the actual bug). I know they're working on it, but they just don't have actuators and batteries that will do the job yet.
That could change quickly, but for now, cyborgs are comparatively simple. Several years ago I saw an episode of Scientific American Frontiers where they ripped out a cockroach's antennae and replaced them with electrodes. From then on, they could literally steer the thing wherever they wanted it to go. It would be simple to switch to a wireless interface, add a camera and audio pickup, and thus recruit the world's smallest, creepiest spy.
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