A Russian tech startup claims to have developed a brain implant that it can use to remotely control pigeons, turning the birds into surveillance drones. Pigeons have a long history as messengers. For thousands of years, humans have trained pigeons to carry important information over long distances during wartime and emergencies.
In fact, the earliest recorded use of carrier pigeons goes all the way back to ancient Egypt, where they were used to carry important messages about agriculture, political conflicts and the flooding of the Nile River.
The practice of using homing pigeons has fallen out of fashion over the past few hundred years, but a Russian tech startup is hoping to revive the practice...well, sort of.
Russian startup "Niery" claims that they have successfully developed and implanted neural implants into the brains of pigeons, through which they can remotely control these animals.
By attaching cameras to these birds, they can also use pigeons to monitor their surroundings.
Niery explains how the technology works in a press release, saying a simulator sends signals that tell pigeons to turn left or right with the help of a GPS system powered by solar panels.
Although Niery has not yet brought the pigeons to market, its founder Alexander Panov said that any bird can be used to perform these tasks, and the animals do not need any special training or conditioning to participate in the project.
