Implantable microfluidic and electronic systems for insect flight manipulation

Abstract

Insect micro air vehicles represent a promising alternative to traditional small scale aircraft because they combine the enhanced energy storage and maneuverability of living insects with the controllability offered by microelectromechanical systems. These systems have been previously demonstrated, usually using either electrical (with implanted electrodes) or chemical (with implanted microfluidics) control schemes, but to date little work has been done on the creation of hybrid systems that use both these methods simultaneously. In this paper, we develop an integrated microsystem that uses both chemical and electrical methods to modulate the flight activity of Manduca sexta moths. The integration of two control schemes is essential because it could increase the number of achievable flight routines and duration. The electrical component of the system initiates and maintains flight by applying electrical pulses to an antenna lobe and an implanted drug delivery component modulates flight output power by administering a neurotransmitter dose to the central nervous system. Flight duration results acquired with this system are compared with those obtained from direct mechanical stimulation. We demonstrate that the electrical stimulation provides as much as 35-fold enhancement in flight duration with respect to mechanical agitation and that a 50% mean flight power output reduction can be achieved with the proper neurotransmitter dose.