Overview
- Neiry says it can steer pigeons by stimulating implanted brain electrodes via a solar backpack that also carries GPS, communications gear and a camera, detailed in reports on January 28.
- The company’s demonstration was shown at its late‑2025 conference, but no independent testing or peer‑reviewed evidence has been published to verify the system’s performance.
- Neiry reports financing from state‑linked programs including the Russian Direct Investment Fund and lists Gazprom and the Moscow city administration as customers.
- Specialists note pigeons’ small size, low noise and long daily range could make them discreet sensors in cities, yet they judge such cyborg animals would likely only complement existing surveillance tools.
- Animal‑welfare concerns are pronounced, with researchers warning of exhaustion and lack of consent, and coverage notes Russia’s weaker protections for research animals despite new UNESCO guidance on human neurotechnology ethics.