How Cockroaches Could Save Us in the End

YOU might want to examine a cockroach a little more closely before you squash it, otherwise you could be making a costly mistake.

Engineers at Texas A & M University have hijacked live cockroaches so they can be controlled by humans.

To achieve the amazing feat, the engineers wired a miniature computer into the nervous system of the insects.

Situated on the back of the roach, the inch-long pack contains a battery for power and delivers electrical pulses directly to the nerve cluster responsible for moving the insect’s front legs.

Using a remote control, they were able to steer the cockroach in the desired direction 60 per cent of the time.

Lead researcher Hong Liang said the controllable insects would be used to explore places not suitable for humans.

“Insects can do things a robot cannot. They can go into small places, sense the environment, and if there’s movement, from a predator say, they can escape much better than a system designed by a human,” she told the Guardian.

“We wanted to find ways to work with them.”

Liang said even though cockroaches can carry five times their own body weight, they had to be careful how much gear the insects were loaded with.

“We did an endurance test and they do get tired,” she said.

“We put them on a treadmill for a minute and then let them rest. If the backpack is lighter, they can go on for longer.”

Liang added working with the robot roaches gave her a new found appreciation for the insects.

“When I first saw them, my hair stood up. But I went on to keep some in my office as pets for a while. They are actually beautiful creatures. They are constantly cleaning themselves,” she said.

Findings from the experiment published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.