Chinese scientists said they have succeeded in an experiment
to remotely control the flight of a pigeon with electronic technology.
Scientists with the Robot Engineering Technology Research Center of east
China's Shandong University of Science an
d Technology say they implanted micro
electrodes in the brain of a pigeon so they can command it to fly right or left
or up or down.
The implants stimulated different areas of the pigeon's brain according to
signals sent by the scientists via computer, and forced the bird to comply with
their commands.
It's the first such successful experiment on a pigeon in the world, said
the chief scientist Su Xuecheng.
The electronic signals resemble the signals generated by the brain which
control body movement, said Su.
Su and his colleagues are improving the devices used in the experiment and
hope that the technology can be put into practical use in future.
Su conducted a similar successful experiment on mice in
2005.