Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have demonstrated that live insects can be remotely controlled. They equipped Madagascar hissing cockroaches with a “backpack” containing electrodes connected to the insects’ sensory organs. Using a microcontroller and wireless technology, researchers could send electrical impulses to guide the cockroaches in different directions, slow them down, or stop them.
In a new study, the same team from Singapore introduced an “automatic assembly method for insect-computer hybrid robots.” This system can transform a cockroach into a cyborg in just 68 seconds. Previously, the manual process was time-consuming and depended on the precision of the scientists. Variations in electrode implantation could affect remote control.
To eliminate human error and enable mass production, the automatic assembly of insect-computer hybrid robots is essential. The assembly system includes an operating table where anesthetized adult cockroaches are secured. A robotic arm retrieves a prepared backpack and implants the electrodes into the cockroach.
The process involves exposing a part of the pronotum to access the membrane underneath, where electrodes are fixed. The backpack with the control element is then attached to the insect’s metathorax using small hooks. As cockroaches vary in size, the system uses artificial intelligence with computer vision to recognize deviations and find ideal reference points. A camera scans the cockroach’s body and, based on training data, determines where the robotic arm should position the electrodes.
The robotic system works 60 times faster than a human. While manual preparation and operation could take up to an hour per cockroach, the system can process four insects in under eight minutes, sometimes taking just over a minute per cockroach.
The researchers compared the automatically assembled insect-computer hybrid robots with manually assembled ones to verify quality. They found that the automatically assembled hybrids achieved comparable movement control, making mass production feasible.
The need for mass production of these hybrid robots is linked to their potential applications, such as search and rescue operations after disasters or inspecting factories and industrial facilities. Equipped with the right sensors, these insects could locate trapped individuals or detect leaks and cracks in structures. To efficiently cover large areas quickly, dozens, if not hundreds or thousands, of prepared insects are needed.
Before deploying cyborg cockroaches outside the lab, additional challenges must be addressed. Fabian Steinbeck, a bio-robotics researcher at Bielefeld University, noted that signal reception could be difficult in collapsed buildings, complicating search and rescue efforts.