Fly brain connectome with 166,700 neurons already powering robots, drones and AR demos
eyishazyer · x · 2026-09-14
HHMI Janelia and Google released the MaleCNS v1.0 connectome in early September: the full wiring diagram of an adult male fruit fly's nervous system with 166,700 neurons and millions of synaptic connections, all open data.
Within weeks, builders have:
- Wired the simulated brain into a Strandbeest-style walker, with spike patterns driving leg motors
- Hooked it into a hybrid roll-and-fly drone steering throttle and rotors
- Built AR glasses letting a digital fly navigate a real living room
- Even plugged it into a token launchpad, where its vision neurons generated the description and ticker to launch its own memecoin
The fly brain isn't literally plugged into hardware — an interface layer translating neural output into motor signals does the real work. Still, an insect went from DOOM and Chrome Dino to controlling actual machines in a matter of weeks.
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