Are cockroaches no longer just enemies? The hated insect is about to save lives
Researchers from Australia have developed "cyborg cockroaches" equipped with cameras and tiny syringes, capable of reaching those trapped in disaster zones and providing primary medical care in real-time. Here is how the surprising technology that will change the world of search and rescue works.
An innovative technological development may turn one of the most hated creatures in the world into a life-saving rescue agent. Scientists from the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales in Australia have developed "cyborg cockroaches" — a combination of a living insect and a machine called "Para-borgs." The goal: providing primary and urgent medical care to those trapped under rubble or in tight spaces that are inaccessible to humans or robots.
To control the movement of the insects, the researchers implant electrodes directly into the cockroach's nervous system after anesthesia. Using small electrical signals, a human operator can navigate the cockroach right, left, or forward with high precision. The experiments were conducted on giant burrowing cockroaches from North Queensland — the heaviest cockroaches in the world, reaching a length of almost nine centimeters. Their physical size allows them to carry a technological backpack on their backs that includes a camera, a syringe, and electrodes, without their mobility being impaired.
According to the operational plan, the cockroaches will operate in teams and swarms connected to a single communication network. One cockroach will serve as an "observer" equipped with a camera to locate the trapped person, while a second cockroach will serve as a "medic" carrying medicine and injecting it remotely upon reaching a distance of up to 15 centimeters from the target. The technology is intended to provide a response in cases of earthquakes or building collapses, where trapped people suffering from severe allergic reactions, asthma attacks, or snake bites require immediate treatment even before the arrival of human rescue teams.
The scientists chose to use live cockroaches rather than robots because even the most advanced technology today cannot mimic the insect's natural ability to survive in harsh conditions, squeeze into tiny cracks, and operate for a long time with low energy consumption and without the need for a heavy external power source.
