By Chathushka Perera
Thanks to Hollywood, we know almost everything there is to know about tiny cameras buzzing over your ear but this is another level of tech where actual moths get a camera strapped to their back. The device was created by graduate students from the University of Washington, USA and was unveiled at the 26th annual MobiCom conference.
The device was designed by Shyam Gollakota, according a university press release, and funded for by the National Science Foundation.
Smaller than a penny and weighing just about one hundredth of an ounce (0.28 grams) it allows the moth would still retain its capacity of motion. What’s more is that the device was not just designed to house a camera. Rather it could replace the camera with microphone or a light-sensor. The battery that runs the device has a capacity of several years and is best suited for long-term monitoring. Strap it on to a bug with using the device’s tiny magnetic pin and you get a means of reaching environments that conventional devices would not allow.
Devices of this nature are actually meant to be used for monitoring ecosystems rather than spying, just so you know, and that goes a long way toward understanding and preserving the environment.
