The U.S. Army is asking for civilians to help them turn robotic flies into nearly undetectable, intelligence agents.

The robot flies are intended to be semi-autonomous microbots capable of flying without the aid of a motor, Computerworld reported. The wings are made from a material known as PZT, lead zirconate titanate, a material capable of generating an electric charge when under pressure. The material then changes its shape when the charge is applied to it.

The material is gaining popularity in the fields of nanotechnology, allowing researchers to power nano-scale machines that are too small to have their own batteries.

Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have previously developed a set of “insect-inspired” flying microbots. These are designed to accompany soldiers on the battlefield, serving as remote-controlled scouts and providing tactical information to their controllers. The smallest functional bot weighs only 20 grams.

That bot is a giant compared to the bots currently being designed by another ARL team. Lead by Ronald G. Polcawich, the Piezoelectric-Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems Technology team have recently built a set of robotic legs that crawl when voltage is applied. The team is now working to adapt the larger PZT wingspans to smaller microbots.

Polcawich is currently utilizing the “Open Campus” program, according to Computerworld. The program invites civilian developers and investors to contribute to ongoing projects at the ARL.  Implemented to bolster the shrinking R&D budget and speed up development, the program allows participants to contribute under Cooperative Research and Development Agreements and publish their results in peer-reviewed journals.

Though the program is a response to budget cuts, the principles behind the program follow independent research, supposing that one researcher may encounter a problem that others might be able to solve.

Polcawich hopes that the Open Campus participants will take an interest in his lab’s micro-fly project and help accelerate the development of the flier’s “cognitive ability.” The project is currently the lowest funded of the group’s projects, with more focus placed on IED-defeat systems and tactical systems. The fliers themselves might not be functional for another decade.

“The Open Campus effort will hopefully streamline the creative process,” Polcawich said.