Muscles are the mechanical actuators of the body controlled by neurons. We use these actuators to perform many actions during the activities of our daily life. Moreover, we have benefited throughout history from the muscle power of larger animals, for farming, transportation, and industry. However, the muscle power of insects has not yet been exploited reliably or reproducibly, although insects possess a much higher ratio of muscle force to body mass than most large domesticated mammals. The novel field of insect–machine interfaces (IMI) combines microtechnology and neuroengineering to benefit from the muscle power of insects in a “biobotic” manner. To facilitate this, Early Metamorphosis Insertion Technology (EMIT) provides a novel neurotechnological pathway for integrating microelectronic sensing and actuation platforms into insects during metamorphosis. Metamorphic development not only provides an elegant and effective method of mechanically affixing artificial systems in or on an insect, but also produces a reliable bioelectrical interface without any observable short-term adverse effect on insect flight behavior. As an application of biobotic control of insect locomotion, the first steps towards flight and gait navigation in moths and cockroaches are presented in this chapter.

Insect–machine interfaces (IMI)

Developments in micromachining technology have shifted the notion of implantable neuromotor prosthetics from science fiction to reality [1]. The highly miniaturized complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) electronics on these micromachined probes have made possible a number of complicated neurophysiological studies by coupling state-of-the-art signal processing technologies to initiate and record advanced brain function [2, 3]. This technology provides techniques and tools that allow us to understand and generate robust electronically controlled muscle movement. Restoring impaired motor function has been possible in vertebrates such as rabbits, cats, and monkeys, and will eventually be useful for humans, by controlling their motor function using either external operator commands or the output of the subject’s own brain [4, 5]. These systems are at a suitable scale (~5 mm3) to fit on an insect to build insect–machine interfaces (IMI). For a reliable IMI, hybrid bioelectronic structures with insects need to be formed through which CMOS devices and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) structures are coupled with the insect’s natural sensors and actuators.