Jody Serrano
Editor in chiefEditor in Chief at Xataka On. Before joining Webedia, I was a tech reporter at Gizmodo and The Messenger. While I've covered all sorts of things related to technology, I'm specialized in writing about social media, Internet culture, Twitch, and streamers.
Cyborgs don’t just exist in sci-fi movies. Researchers have been working hard on creating real ones for years using the closest thing to an immortal bug we have on Earth: the cockroach.
Why are scientists making cyborg cockroaches? The answer, if you can believe it, is to create a hero. Scientists believe that cyborg insects could one day be used in complex situations, such as search-and-research missions or inspections of dangerous areas, where sending in a human or another robot could be dangerous and unfeasible.
Cockroaches and beetles are the most used insects in this type of research because of their size and their terrestrial locomotion. Furthermore, insects have a natural ability to navigate through complex environments and overcome obstacles.
The research. Of course, creating a cyborg cockroach is a lot harder than it sounds. The process involves not only shrinking complex electronics into a size suitable for an insect but also developing a system that allows researchers to control the cockroach to get it where they want it to go.
Recently, scientists at the University of Osaka and Diponegoro University unveiled a new biohybrid behavior-based navigation (BIOBBN) system that allows cockroaches—specifically, Madagascar hissing cockroaches—to move around challenging environments autonomously. To accomplish this, BIOBBN takes advantage of the cockroaches’ innate ability to navigate through challenging areas by climbing and following walls.
The study was published in Soft Robotics.
How it works. Researchers equipped the cockroaches with small, wireless backpacks full of electronics, including motion-detecting sensors, a Kinect camera, and electronic circuits. The backpack allowed researchers to steer the insects along a predetermined path by stimulating their antennae and the small appendages near the rear of their abdomen known as cerci.
For the study, scientists developed two navigation algorithms for the BIOBBIN system for both low- and high-density environments, which featured several obstacles such as rocks and small pieces of debris. The insect’s goal was to reach its target and avoid the obstacles in its path. In the end, both algorithms successfully allowed the cockroaches to reach their goals.
Looking forward. While the BIOBBN system is certainly a step forward, it doesn’t mean you’ll be seeing photos of heroic cyborg roaches on the news anytime soon. Scientists have been trying to perfect this concept for years, but the majority are still not ready to be used in real-life situations.
However, Keisuke Morishima, one of the study’s senior authors, points out that his group’s research demonstrates that cyborg insects are already surpassing mechanical robots in some areas.
“I believe our cyborg insects can achieve objectives with less effort and power than purely mechanical robots,” Morishima said in a statement. “Our autonomous biohybrid navigation system overcomes problems that have traditionally challenged robots, such as recovering from falling. This is what is needed for stepping outside the laboratory and into real-life scenarios like wilderness.”
Images | University of Osaka
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