Scientists attach a camera to a beetle
Try easier levels of this lesson: Beetle Camera - Level 0, Beetle Camera - Level 1 or Beetle Camera - Level 2.
Download the 27-page lesson | More mini-lessons
The reading
Scientists have developed a tiny camera that can be put on the back of a beetle. The camera can record where the bug goes. This will give the scientists a bug's-eye view of the world. The researchers want to use the camera to explore places never seen before. Researcher Vikram Iyer explained why the camera could be useful. He said: "Insects can traverse rocky environments, which is really challenging for robots to do at this scale. So this system can also help us out by letting us see or collect samples from hard-to-navigate spaces." Mr Iyer is excited to see what the cameras record. He said: "This is the first time that we've had a first-person view from the back of a beetle while it's walking around."
Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)
The scientists are from the University of Washington in the USA. They wanted to develop a camera light enough for bugs to wear. It weighs just 250 grams. Their wireless camera records images at up to five frames per second. A researcher said: "We have created a low-power, low-weight, wireless camera system that can capture a first-person view of what's happening from an actual live insect." He said one of the biggest challenges when making the camera was the battery. It had to be very small and very light, with enough power to last a few hours. The researchers stressed that no beetles were hurt in their tests and that all the insects "lived for at least a year" after the experiments finished.
Sources:
- https://bgr.com/2020/07/16/coronavirus-spread-at-home-birthday-party-cluster/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-53445772
- https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/15/us/beetle-tiny-cameras-scli-scn-intl/index.html
