Redazione RHC : 4 August 2025 07:15
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, together with Japanese colleagues, have created the world’s first robotic line for the mass production of cyborg cockroaches. This has made it possible to abandon the complex manual production of miniature cybernetic organisms and move towards standardized products with more stable characteristics. These advantages bring the use of swarms of cyborg insects closer to the field for inspection, reconnaissance, and disaster relief.
One of the main factors of interest in cyborg insects is their high autonomy: modern batteries do not yet offer sufficient capacity in a compact size. A well-fed cockroach can travel greater distances and for longer than a miniature robot with a fully charged battery, even with a highly advanced battery.
Cyborg cockroaches can penetrate complex structures and mechanisms without having to disassemble or destroy them. Moving in swarms, they are able to rapidly explore vast territories that are difficult for people and equipment to access. It is no coincidence that a significant portion of the new budget of the German Bundeswehr will be allocated to the development of artificial intelligence and biomechanical insects: this too is a sector of strategic importance for the army.
For large-scale use of cyberinsects, it is important to start industrial production. To develop the process, the scientists chose one of the world’s largest cockroaches: the Madagascar hissing cockroach, which can reach 7 cm in length. Modern electronics are still too heavy for most insects, and in this case, size matters.
The key element of the assembly line was the Universal Robot UR3e industrial manipulator with gripper, as well as a machine vision system based on the Intel RealSense depth camera. Carbon dioxide was used as an anesthetic for the insects.
The electronics were placed on a small platform, which, like a backpack, was attached to the cockroach’s back. To stimulate the nervous system, two bipolar electrodes with needles and hooks at the ends were inserted and fixed into the insect’s body near its front legs.
Assembling a cyborg took 68 seconds.
Tests showed that insects assembled manually and on a robotic line were controlled with equal efficiency. Rotation was initiated by stimulating one of the front legs, and stopping by stimulating both.
An experiment on swarm control showed that four cyborg cockroaches surveyed almost the entire specified territory in a time inaccessible to a single insect. This technology has good prospects: at the very least, automation of assembly will accelerate further research in this direction.
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