The rise of the cyborg snail: How scientists implanted a battery that allows the creatures to spy for the army

The snails trolling around your garden may have a much more sinister plan than simply leaving a trail of slime in their wake.

Scientists have now discovered how to turn the pesky crawlers into self-generating batteries, which can then be used as navigation or tracking devices.

Given their size- and their new role as essentially living batteries- it is very likely that military intelligence operations will use this advancement to gather data in the field.

Cyborg snail: Scientists have now discovered how to turn the pesky crawlers into self-generating batteries, which can then be used as tracking devices

In an experiment run in the labs of Clarkson University in upstate New York, scientists believe they have the first example of sustainable generated electricity from a living creature.

After implanting a battery in the snail, researchers logged the amount of energy that was generated by allowing the snail's blood sugar to 'recharge' the internal battery.

This is the first time that said battery has lasted over the course of several months, and gives promise to longer-term projects.



Though the amount of electricity generated was not high by any standards- it was still below that of one AAA battery- the researchers plan to increase the energy flow in the coming trials.

'In this [direction] the biofuel cells are expected to operate in small creatures (snails, worms, insects, etc) providing sustainable electrical power for various sensors and wireless transmitters professor Evgeny Katz told Live Science.

Though the thought of so-called cyborg snails seems like the plot of a science fiction novel, it may be more realistic than supposed.

Scientist: Evgeny Katz from Clarkson University in upstate New York made the findings and have been partially funded by the Department of Defence

The team received funding from the Department of Defence, who, Mr Katz says hopes 'to use the cyborg bugs as, well, bugs for collecting intelligence.'

This would not be the first time that animals are used as spies by the military. In both World Wars, pigeons had cameras attached as surveillance tools, and dolphins detect underwater bombs.

Just last month, researchers at MIT figured out how to put probes into moths that will allow controllers to dictate where the living moth flies.

Aside from the possible military capabilities of the technology, there are a number of other practical uses for the information.