Your Worst Nightmare Just Became a First Responder’s Best Friend
Search-and-rescue teams have a difficult problem after earthquakes and building collapses. Survivors may be trapped only a few feet away, but unstable rubble and narrow openings can make them impossible to reach safely. Small robots can sometimes help locate people, though squeezing through debris while carrying the necessary equipment remains a challenge.
Researchers at the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales are experimenting with a very different solution: cockroaches fitted with electronics that let rescuers remotely steer them through difficult terrain. These cyborg insects can do more than just search for survivors. Some can carry cameras, while others can transport miniature injectors intended to deliver emergency medication.
The researchers call the system Paraborg, short for paramedic cyborg insect. It builds on roughly two decades of work involving insects fitted with electronics for search-and-rescue missions. Insects already have durable bodies, efficient locomotion, built-in sensing, and an...
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