Scientists at the Beijing Institute of Technology used a 74-milligram insect brain controller to create the world’s first cyborg bee.

Worker bees can carry nectar sacks weighing about 80 per cent of their body mass for 5 km (3 miles) without resting, so they have no problem carrying a 74-milligram brain controller developed by Chinese researchers. The ultra-light device can be strapped to the bee’s back and connected to its brain via three tiny needles, allowing humans to control the movements of the insect. The controller uses low-intensity electric impulses to input the insect’s movements, making it turn left, turn right, advance, or turn back, depending on the situation. According to Professor Zhao Jieliang, in the tests performed by his team so far, the bees obeyed their commands 9 times out of 10.