Communications of the ACM
Cyborg Cockroach Can Navigate a Maze
The antennae electrodes are used for steering, while a third electrode attached to the cockroach’s stomach can make it speed up or slow down.
Credit: Hirotaka Sato/Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Researchers at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University have developed a method to create cyborg cockroaches for use in search-and-rescue missions or building inspections that does not injure them and expands their operational use for hours, potentially days.
The researchers used layers of gold and plastic to create flexible electronic sleeves that are placed over the cockroach's antennae and fixed into place with ultraviolet light.
The sleeves, which leave the antennae intact, receive signals via Bluetooth to steer the cockroach in a particular direction.
The researchers also developed an electrode that is connected to the cockroach's abdomen and used to control its speed.
They demonstrated the system by directing a cockroach around an S-shaped track and an obstacle course with randomly placed stones.
From New Scientist
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