Re: Animal "Cyborgs"

One strange-but-true Viet Nam era personnel sensor employed bedbugs, in 
an airdroppable container with the bug glued to a microphone, a signal 
("excited bug") from which would cause the transmitter to squirt a 
contact report.  

I can't remember if it was designed at the Army Night Vision Lab at Ft. 
Belvoir, or under contract to it -- ISTR the work was done in 
Massachusetts.  Mitre? Can't think why Army Natick Labs would have been 
involved, unless they were authoritative on bedbugs due to their work ob 
bedding.

Compared to the deployed ammonia detector that was used from 
helicopters, it was far more selective -- the bugs got excited at 
humans, not water buffalo. It seemed to work as well as any other trail 
sensor dropped along the Ho Chi Minh train.  

I'm personally convinced it was not deployed because all troops invited 
to handle the sensors had a vision of being asked "what did you do in 
the war, Daddy?" and having to answer "I was a bedbug wrangler".