(NLDO) - Many scientists are researching and building insects that combine machines - such as cockroaches or dark beetles - for application in search and rescue.
The “patient” is immersed in an ice bath to prepare for the upcoming surgery. Once adequately anesthetized, University of Queensland (Australia) student Lachlan Fitzgerald begins carefully attaching a small circuit board to the patient’s back to create a bio-robot that combines living creature and machine.
In fact, the “patient” is a beetle, and the device sends electrical pulses to the specimen's antennae, allowing Fitzgerald to control its movements and take advantage of its natural flexibility.
“We only intervene when it deviates from the direction we want it to go, guiding it in this direction,” he shared.
The student hopes to create a search “army” of insects and machines in the future. “After an urban disaster like an earthquake or a bombing, when humans cannot safely reach the disaster site, sending a group of cyborg beetles around the disaster area would be quick and efficient,” he explains.
Researchers in Australia attached tiny circuit boards to beetles and cockroaches to control their movements. Photo: CNN
Insects have more "features" than robots
The robotics lab where Fitzgerald works is looking to fit control “backpacks” to the giant burrowing cockroach — a species native to Australia that grows up to 8cm long — and the darkling beetle.
Species of the darkling beetle family are found in a wide range of environments, from tropical savannas to arid deserts, around the world.
According to Fitzgerald, cyborg insects have an advantage over conventional robots. "Insects are much more adaptable than artificial robotic systems, because the latter have to run through so many calculations to handle all the different scenarios that could happen in the real world," he explains.
Meanwhile, search-and-rescue cyborg cockroaches or beetles could assist in disaster situations by finding and reporting the location of survivors or delivering medicine before rescuers can get there.
University of Queensland student Lachlan Fitzgerald hopes to one day use insect-machine hybrids as search and rescue "workers." Photo: CNN
But first, Australian researchers must master the ability to control insects’ movements. Fitzgerald says that while the research may seem far-fetched at the moment, cyborg insects could save lives in the decades to come.
Great potential
Fitzgerald is not the only researcher creating robots from living creatures. For example, scholars at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech - USA) are implanting electronic pacemakers into jellyfish to control their swimming speed. They hope these bionic jellyfish will collect data about the ocean floor.
In September 2024, researchers at Cornell University (USA) launched robots controlled by a species of king oyster mushroom. These robots are capable of sensing and reacting to the environment by exploiting the electrical signals and light sensitivity of the mushroom. From there, the robots recognize the chemical composition of the soil near the plants to decide when to add more fertilizer.
The growing popularity of biohybrid robotics has sparked ethical debate, with some scientists advocating for greater regulation and oversight of the industry. The Caltech scholars said they have been working with bioethicists to ensure interventions do not stress the jellyfish.
Fitzgerald says the cyborg beetles have a normal lifespan. “So I don’t think they care. Science hasn’t proven yet whether they are actually conscious beings,” he says.
Fitzgerald agrees concerns about the creatures' welfare are valid but urges the public to consider the benefits: "I think the potential for this technology to save lives in urban disasters outweighs any hesitation."
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tiem-nang-gian-robot-khong-lo-tim-kiem-va-cuu-ho-19625011715502523.htm
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