Could 'swarms' of giant cyborg cockroaches be the future of disaster sites care?

Australian researchers have fitted cameras and miniature medical injectors to cyborg cockroaches to make them capable of administering supervised emergency care.

To assist people trapped in collapsed buildings, caves or other places too dangerous for rescuers to reach, Australian researchers have fitted cameras and miniature medical injectors to ‘swarms’ of cyborg cockroaches who, they say, are capable of administering supervised emergency care.

Developed by University of Queensland biorobotics researchers working with biomedical engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), about the ‘paraborgs’, UQ biorobotics engineer Dr Thang Vo-Doan said their research transforms the cyborg insect from a mobile sensor into a tiny rescue platform, while critical medical decisions remain under human control.

“Cyborg insects have been designed for ‘search and explore’ missions for the past couple of decades,” Vo-Doan said. “We wanted to take the next step. Once they find someone, can they actually help?”

Biorobotics researchers from UQ have transformed North Queensland giant burrowing cockroaches (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) into miniature cyborg paramedics. Credit: The University of Queensland

North Queensland giant burrowing cockroaches (Macropanesthia rhinoceros) were equipped with lightweight electronics and either cameras for visual feedback or remotely activated auto-injection systems custom-made for the species.

“Augmenting their natural biomechanics could allow these cyborg insects to deliver timely emergency assistance when direct access to people trapped in narrow, debris-filled spaces isn’t possible,” Vo-Doan said.

The paraborgs achieved 95% success with close-range injection — positioned within 15 centimetres of the target — in proof-of-concept testing at UQ’s School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, the university said, with the complete navigation-and-injection task succeeding 72% of trials.

The giant burrowing cockroach provides greater capacity to carry specialised rescue and medical equipment. Credit: The University of Queensland

“The cyborg insect has to navigate to the target, position itself accurately and remain stable enough to perform the injection,” UQ PhD candidate Hai Nhan Le said. “A lot of people might not like the sight of a giant cockroach scurrying towards them, but if you’re trapped in rubble or stuck in a cave and need help, it could make a real difference between life and death.”

The longer-term vision was to deploy swarms of specialised cyborg insects, with individuals performing complementary roles, Vo-Doan said. “Some could carry cameras and environmental sensors, while others could carry specialised emergency or medical equipment,” Vo-Doan added.

“The vision is not to replace first responders, but to give them another way to see, reach and potentially help people when direct access is impossible,” Vo-Doan said. “Hopefully, within the next 5 to 10 years, we could see cyborg insect rescue teams deployed to help people in real emergencies, provided we have the resources to accelerate the research and field testing.”

The study was published open access in Advanced Science and you can read it at doi.org/10.1002/advs.76973.

Top image: PhD candidate Hai Nhan Le said accurate positioning of the paraborgs was one of the key engineering challenges. Credit: The University of Queensland