"Arguably the most refined program to date is the RoboBee, currently being shopped by Harvard's Wyss Institute. Originally funded by a $9.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2009, the RoboBee is a bug-sized autonomous flying vehicle capable of transitioning from water to air, perching on surfaces, and autonomous collision avoidance in swarms. The RoboBee features two "wafer-thin" wings that flap some 120 times a second to achieve vertical takeoff and mid-air hovering."
"Other developments, like the aforementioned cyborg insect, remain in early stages. Researchers have successfully demonstrated the capabilities of these remote-control systems using of a range of insect hosts, from the unicorn beetle to the humble cockroach. Though DARPA has been funding insect-machine technology since 2006, their practical application is up in the air. Still, researchers are trying to keep up with the times, looking into ways to tune drone swarming algorithms to fit their cyborg creations."
Insect-size spy robots and microbots are emerging as potential military technologies. Sea-based microdrones, cockroach-style surveillance bots, and cyborg insects are in development. Harvard's Wyss Institute developed the RoboBee with a $9.3 million NSF grant in 2009; the RoboBee can transition from water to air, perch on surfaces, and perform autonomous collision avoidance in swarms. The RoboBee uses wafer-thin wings that flap about 120 times per second for vertical takeoff and hovering. DARPA funds microfabrication and insect-machine technology, while practical payload, control, and deployment challenges persist. Underwater microrobotics focus on less mobile applications.
Read at Futurism
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