Cyborg cockroaches may soon deliver life-saving drugs to disaster victims
The team reported 100% navigation success and 95% drug-injection success when the roaches reached targets within 15 cm, the paper said.
- Researchers at the University of Queensland are outfitting giant cockroaches with medical devices to deliver drugs to disaster victims, with lead author Hai Nhan and lab director Thang Vo-Doan designing the remote-controlled insects for rescue operations.
- The University team selected the giant burrowing cockroach, the world's heaviest species growing up to 8 centimeters, because their size accommodates centimetre-scale medical apparatus needed for real-world disaster scenarios.
- Outfitting the insects with electrodes allows researchers to control movement and immobilize them for precision targeting; the team achieved 100 percent success in navigation and 90 percent success with the auto-injection mechanism.
- Cockroaches able to get within 15 centimeters of a target successfully injected drugs 95 percent of the time; unfortunately, stabilizing the insects for targeting proved difficult, with only a 72 percent success rate.
- PhD candidate researchers noted that while giant cockroaches might trigger phobia, they could save lives in disaster scenarios; some insects will carry specialized medical equipment while others will be built to search for victims.
17 Articles
17 Articles
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Chay Bowes: Cyborg cockroaches are being trained as paramedics
Cyborg cockroaches are being trained as paramedics. Yes, you read that right.Australian scientists (obviously) are strapping cameras and syringe harpoons to giant roaches to deliver medicine to people buried under rubble.In tests, they hit the...
Technology leverages the insect's natural physical capabilities by combining them with state-of-the-art microelectronics
Why Scientists Are Turning Cockroaches Into Cyborgs
A swarm of giant cockroaches could one day crawl through earthquake rubble, locate trapped victims, and deliver lifesaving medicine before human rescuers can reach them. Researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales have developed “paraborgs” — cyborg cockroaches equipped with cameras and miniature drug-injection systems designed for search-and-rescue missions. The technology is as unsettling as it sounds. But…
Cyborg cockroaches may soon deliver life-saving drugs to disaster victims
Picture this: You’ve just undergone one of the most harrowing experiences of your life, and you’re trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. You’re injured, air is running out, and human rescuers can’t reach you. But crawling through the rubble to administer life-saving drugs and reassure you comes the last thing you’d expect: a swarm of cyborg cockroaches bearing tiny syringes. Unfortunately for those who’d rather find solace in the arms o…
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