Robo-Roaches To Help Disaster Rescue and (spy) Recovery Missions?

You’ve probably never thought that you would be happy to see a cockroach. However, research into cyborgs, " biohybrids,” or, as we like to call them, “robo-roaches,” may soon change that.

The brainchild of Professor Hirotaka Sato, the Provost’s Chair in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at NTU, this cyborg robot is being developed by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) together with Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Klass Engineering and Solutions.

10 of these robo-roaches made their debut appearance at the Milipol Asia-Pacific and TechX Summit. The hope is that they will help in future rescue missions, looking for survivors in inaccessible terrain.

Design and Specifications

Of course, the key component of these mini robots is the cockroaches themselves, specifically the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa). On average, these cockroaches reach about 5 to 7.5cm long and weigh between 5 and 9 grams - which are one of the largest species of cockroaches in the world.

Like many insects, cockroaches have a high strength-to-weight ratio, capable of carrying their own bodyweight multiple times. For this research, they are outfitted with a microchip “backpack” that weighs about 15 grams. This “backpack” features electrodes directly implanted in the insect’s nervous system as well as an infrared sensor.

How Does it Work?

The most fascinating thing about this project is how it allows operators to effectively “steer” the cockroaches. The electrodes planted in the bug’s nervous system can be triggered to “prompt” it to move left, right, or forward. The system can also autonomously steer the insect according to a preprogrammed destination or route.

An infrared camera and processor can identify survivors via heat signatures. A mounted transmitter can then alert rescue operators to the insect's location.

Its all good for saving humans..but seems a bit like torture for the cockroaches...

Applications

The primary application for these robo-roaches is to help in disaster rescue missions. Hirotaka Sato, who came up with the idea, experienced the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami firsthand. As a result, he envisioned the possibility of using a swarm of robotic insects to help rescue teams find survivors in inaccessible areas.

Rubble and debris can hide survivors and make it extremely difficult for humans to get around. Sometimes, individuals can be buried under layers of material — think of survivors underneath a collapsed building, for example. Our current technology is also incapable of making highly functional robots of this size.

Due to their miniature size and durability, cockroaches are ideal for these types of dangerous missions.

On a side note, check out Berkeley CRAM (Compressible Robot with Articulated Mechanisms) roaches. These robots can actually compress and fit into tight spaces, sort off like a cockroach.

What the Future Looks Like

Sato estimates that biohybrid rescue systems may be used in real-life disaster missions in as little as 3-5 years.

While the robo-roaches are an interesting case study with life-saving potential, it’s far from unique.

Researchers all over the world are experimenting with combining biological systems and robotics. In this way, they look to take full advantage of our current robotics tech while “hacking capabilities we don’t yet have with those of existing animals, insects, and other biological creatures.

In a similar project, funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Sato was working on robotic beetles to replace the need for miniature-sized drones.

On the flip side, researchers also envision using a robotic system fitted with biological sensors, such as insect antennae, that can detect specific odors, or skin that can detect touch.

If you're interested in this sort of stuff, we found a roboroach (beta) surgery video.

Conclusion

Mother Nature did it first. Research projects like these bring new meaning to the concept of not having to reinvent the wheel. The most efficient way to develop groundbreaking robotics systems may very well be to combine the capabilities of existing biological systems and augment them with robotics.

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