Neural Probe for Integrated Insect Locomotion Control and Olfactory Neural Signal Recording

This study engineered a silicon‐based neural probe integrating electrical stimulation and neural recording capabilities through microfabrication. Featuring a four‐shank architecture, the probe enables locomotion control and olfactory recognition in locusts via single implantation: Outer shanks (2 mm × 80 µm) implanted at antennal bases deliver pulse width modulation (PWM) electrical pulses (2–5 V, 10–90% duty cycle) to modulate steering behavior, exhibiting linear correlations between voltage/duty cycle and turning angles with >85% success rates; inner shanks (150 µm width) with eight recording sites (28‐µm diameter) decode odor‐specific neural responses from 58 antennal lobe neurons—ammonium nitrate selectively activates N2/N4 neurons; benzaldehyde triggers N1/N5 responses; and 2‐hexenal induces population burst firing—achieving 92.8% static recognition accuracy via quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) classification. To address dynamic challenges, ΔRMS energy feature analysis is implemented, overcoming motion artifacts to maintain 84.8% odor recognition during locomotion at 50‐ms resolution. Long‐term validation confirmed stable 27‐h operation: ΔRMS attenuation ≤16.7%, signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) attenuation 1.32 dB, steering success >85%, and odor recognition accuracy 80.1%, establishing a critical functional window for perception‐control integration in biohybrid robotic systems. This probe successfully integrates insect motion control and odor discrimination, offering insights for developing multifunctional neural interfaces in insect hybrid robotics and advancing bio‐robot technologies.