Cockroaches Instead of Robots: New Technology Could Revolutionize Rescue Operations and Space Exploration

In a breakthrough that blurs the lines between biology and robotics, scientists have engineered cyborg cockroaches capable of operating underwater. Hirotaka Sato and his team at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have demonstrated that Madagascar hissing cockroaches, implanted with electrodes, can be remotely controlled.

These insect cyborgs are envisioned as biological robots equipped with infrared sensors, designed to be deployed in large numbers after natural disasters to locate survivors. Cockroaches offer a unique advantage as a platform: they possess their own energy source, move efficiently, and have natural obstacle-avoidance reflexes that engineers struggle to replicate in small robots. However, their inability to navigate flooded areas, common in disaster zones, presented a challenge.

To overcome this, researchers developed a 3D-printed resin suit that protects the cockroaches' abdominal breathing spiracles from water. Thin tubes connected to the suit deliver oxygen directly to the thoracic spiracles, allowing the insects to breathe while submerged. The suit leaves the torso uncovered to avoid hindering leg movement. Instead of compressed oxygen, the system uses a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide, which chemically decomposes to release oxygen for the insect.

Equipped with these suits, the cyborg cockroaches could move underwater for up to three hours at a depth of 50 cm. Experiments showed no negative health effects, with all observed insects remaining healthy and retaining almost natural mobility. On land, they averaged 87.5 mm/s, slowing only slightly to 78.4 mm/s underwater. Sato believes this technology could significantly enhance search and rescue capabilities and even pave the way for exploring environments like Mars.

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Our ultimate goal is to use this technology in space. This is another big step towards creating spacesuits for cyborg insects. They could, for example, explore the surface of Mars.