Apr 9
At first glance, this 1970s Cold War artifact looked like any Common Green Darner (Anax junius) or maybe a Blue-faced specimen (Coryphaeschna adnexa) if you’re squinting—its face, forewings, and thorax were all in the right place. But look closer, and you see that this small bug isn’t really a bug at all. It's an “insectothopter,” a bug-sized spy that represents our first big step into the complex world of insect robotics. It was an incredible achievement at a time when the microprocessor was a novel invention.
Now, some 16 years after this public debut—and nearly 50 years since its first flight—newly released documents show every small detail about how the CIA created such an impressive micro-robot. LINK
