The border between biology and technology is becoming increasingly thin. In Russia, the startup Neiry Group has started a trial that aims to transform pigeons into biodrones, equipped with brain chips and electronic devices capable of guiding their flight. A project which, according to the company, could open up new possibilities in environmental monitoring, rescue operations and industrial inspections, but which raises scientific and ethical questions that are difficult to ignore.
The program, called PJN-1, has already completed a first phase of testing in real conditions. The birds are equipped with electrodes implanted in the brain, connected to a small technological backpack containing a controller, solar panels, GPS and a video camera. Through slight electrical stimulations of specific brain areas, the system induces the animal to prefer certain directions, while at the same time leaving it free to maintain natural behavior. Neiry claims that, thanks to this combination, biodrones can cover distances of up to 400 kilometers per day without stopping, exceeding the autonomy limits of traditional drones.
From research to field testing
According to the company, the tests were conducted in Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to evaluate flight stability, range, quality of data transmission and resistance of the equipment. The goal is to employ biodrones in contexts where mechanical aircraft encounter operational difficulties, such as monitoring remote areas, inspections of extensive infrastructure and search and rescue missions in hostile environments.
In the press release released in December, Neiry states that the system is “ready for real use” and that interested markets already exist in countries such as Brazil and India, especially in the agricultural, energy and civil protection sectors. A narrative strongly oriented towards commercial development, which however does not appear to be accompanied by independent scientific publications capable of certifying the actual reliability of neural control in complex scenarios.
The scientific nodes
Similar experiments, conducted in the past on birds and other animals, have shown that neural stimulation allows at most a rough orientation, without guaranteeing precise maneuvers or dynamic adaptation to environmental conditions. In the absence of public data on error rates, navigation accuracy and operational stability, it remains difficult to assess how well biodrones can truly compete with conventional drones, which offer greater predictability and control.
Ethical dilemmas
Beyond the technical aspects, the project raises profound ethical questions. The use of animals as technological supports is criticized by numerous bioethicists, who speak of extreme exploitation of living beings and of an increasingly fragile boundary line between experimentation and exploitation. Neiry says that the pigeons are cared for by the operators and that the cameras installed on the biodrones filter identifiable details to comply with privacy regulations, but these measures do not seem sufficient to dispel the doubts.
Making the picture even more complex are the public statements of the founder Alexander Panov, who on several occasions spoke of neurotechnology as a tool for “rewiring” people and strengthening cultural superiority. Expressions that have fueled fears about potential military and surveillance applications, in a geopolitical context already marked by the invasion and war in Ukraine and by growing global technological competition.
In short, the possibility of guiding an animal’s behavior through electrical impulses raises questions that go beyond technical efficiency, touching on the relationship between technology, power and responsibility.
