Camera on a beetle? We’re being bugged

A TINY robotic camera that can be strapped to the back of a beetle is set to give scientists an insect’s eye view of the world.

The device – one-tenth the weight of a playing card – streams video at up to five frames a second and can pivot 60 degrees.

Controlled by Bluetooth from as far away as 120m, it can capture a high-resolution, panoramic shot or track a moving object.

Beetles can carry up to half a gram – twice the camera’s weight.

Ali Najafi, co-lead author on the University of Washington project, said: “We made sure they could still move properly. They were able to climb trees.”

But while the technology has uses for studying insects, he warned it also brings privacy risks.

BUG-EYED Beetle with kit