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   Robot Animals by Sarah Hull

Elementary Elementary    Hits 790 hits    E-mail Tell friends   

An illustration showing how scientists control rat's movements
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Scientists have started to put computers into the brains of rats and birds. Why? Rats are very clever. Scientists use rats in many experiments. A rat with a computer in its brain can do many interesting things. The same is true for birds. Birds have very small brains. But they navigate accurately and can fly long distances. Rats and birds that scientists can control have many interesting uses.




Homing pigeons are used as long range spiesScientists in China are now able to get a homing pigeon to fly exactly where they want it to. Many army experts are very interested in this. They use homing pigeons as long range spies to look at enemy areas in a way that nothing else can. Outside the military, safety experts say they can use robot birds to survey skyscrapers and bridges in a safe way.

While people are still thinking about how else to use robot birds, the US Army is very clear about how it wants to use robot rats. Robot rats can go into places no humans or machines can get to. Rats have amazingly flexible bodies. Rats can crawl through very narrow tunnels, wriggle through very complex obstacles and leap up or over very big gaps. This makes them the ideal tool to send on search and rescue missions, especially in dangerous conditions. A robot rat can get through most defences to act as a spy or weapon against other people.

 


GLOSSARY
  • Navigate - to find a path or way.
  • Obstacles - difficulties or problems which prevent you from achieving something.


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