Cyborg cockroaches in diving suits: Insects to save lives
A research team transforms giant cockroaches into remote-controlled cyborgs. Thanks to a tiny diving suit, the robust bio-drones will soon be able to go on rescue missions even in deep pipelines and flooded disaster areas.
The idea of modifying insects with electronics and using them for exploration is not new. Live cockroaches can be controlled relatively easily by energy pulses, and they can crawl through narrow crevices and tubes that are inaccessible to humans or other technical means. However, cockroaches also depend on oxygen. They cannot survive underwater or in toxic atmospheres.
Researchers from Singapore and Japan are therefore developing a waterproof protective suit for cockroaches. The researchers refer to the cockroaches as cyborgs due to the combination of a living creature with electronic components. The amphibious cyborg with a diving suit is currently still in the prototype and validation stage. Some animals have already completed practical tests.
The basic idea behind the concept is to develop a remote-controlled, living drone that could operate on land and underwater. Possible application scenarios include exploration in disaster areas and the inspection of pipelines or other narrow piping systems.
The researchers presented their development in the scientific journal "Nature" in June.
A diving suit isolates the cyborg from the environment
As a "biological platform," the team relies on the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa). This is a large species of cockroach that can reach a body length of up to 88 millimeters. It is robust and can be controlled electronically with low energy consumption. Remote control is achieved via a tiny microcontroller that the hissing cockroach carries on its back like a backpack. It converts digital control commands into electrical impulses and transmits them to the locomotor system.
The insect breathes through four special openings on its body, called spiracles. Oxygen can be supplied here, similar to human divers. This allows the insect to survive in oxygen-depleted environments.
The diving suit consists of three components: a flexible shell, attached to the cockroach's abdomen, isolates the insect from environmental influences. Inside is a passive oxygen generator that produces oxygen by decomposing hydrogen peroxide. Four flexible tubes direct this to the spiracles. There, they are fixed with beeswax. This also seals the openings so that no water can penetrate.
In various tests, the cyborgs demonstrated their performance remotely. For example, they had to traverse a 170-centimeter-long tunnel that contained both CO2-filled areas and water sections. In a pond, the cyborgs proved that they can crawl underwater through narrow rock crevices.
They achieve a higher speed than most purely mechanical robots of comparable size: they can cover a distance equal to their body length per second. Thanks to the diving suit, the cyborgs can survive underwater for up to three hours and remain mobile. Without the suit, the cockroaches would suffocate after a maximum of two minutes.
The scientists state that the animals do not have to die after the tests: the protective suit can be removed again, and the test animals were observed for several days afterward. According to the researchers, the cyborgs survived the tests and showed normal behavior during the observation period. The authors of the study do not address ethical questions beyond this.
Future prospects: Autonomy instead of remote control
Currently, the cyborgs still need to be monitored externally for remote control. There is no camera that transmits images to the controlling person. The practical tests therefore took place under visual contact.
In the future, it is planned to no longer remote control the animals, but to let them work autonomously using mini-computers on their backs. The current equipment, i.e., the electronic control and the protective suit, weighs 6.2 grams. With a payload capacity of 15 grams, the cockroaches can transport an additional 8.8 grams of payload. An "onboard human detection," i.e., sensors that react to heat and sound, could determine the cyborg's direction of travel. Other research projects are currently dealing with such sensors for the cockroach carrier.
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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