These Cyborg Cockroaches Could Save Your Life
Researchers at the University of Queensland and UNSW have developed 'Paraborgs,' which are cyborg cockroaches equipped with cameras or medical injection mechanisms. These insects are designed to assist in disaster zones by exploring areas and providing first aid to victims.
Why it matters
Bio-robotics innovations offer potential breakthroughs in search-and-rescue operations, though they raise ethical and practical questions regarding the use of living organisms in technology.
A research team from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have developed the “Paraborg” to not only help with searching for victims, but also administer first aid. While the idea of receiving medical care from a cockroach might be a little skin-crawling, the new cyborg bug could one day help buy human rescuers valuable time in a disaster zone.
“Cyborg insects have been designed for ‘search and explore’ missions for the past couple of decades,” Tan Vo Doan, a bio-robotics researcher at UQ, says in a press release. “We wanted to take the next step.”
The team relied on a giant burrowing cockroach that inhabits northern Queensland to develop the Paraborg, which they documented in a recent paper published the journal Advanced Science. The armored cockroach is up to 87 millimeters (3.5 inches) in length and weighs up to 40 grams (1.4 ounces).
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