Several years ago, Pentagon launched a project to train honeybees to find landmines.

Now Pentagon is seeking applications to create an army of living cyber-insects (like butterflies, see illustration) that can be remotely controlled to check out explosives and send transmissions.

The idea is to insert micro-systems at the pupa stage, when the insects can integrate them into their body, so they can be remotely controlled later.

Such techniques will provide a much better link between the microsystem and the insect than simply sticking a microchip to the abdomen of a bee, wasp or cockroach.

A winning bidder would have to deliver "an insect within five metres of a specific target located 100 metres away".

Here's the official proposal:

DARPA seeks innovative proposals to develop technology to create insect-cyborgs, possibly enabled by intimately integrating microsystems within insects, during their early stages of metamorphoses. The healing processes from one metamorphic stage to the next stage are expected to yield more reliable bio-electromechanical interface to insects, as compared to adhesively bonded systems to adult insects.

Although flying insects like dragonflies and moths are "of great interest," the document says, "Hopping and swimming insects could also meet final demonstration goals."

Sources: DARPA Official Website | Hybrid Insect-MEMS X | Insect Cyborgs | BBC | Guardian