One of the terms that entered our lives with technological developments was ‘Cyborg’. Cyborg, which means half-live and half-robot in its most general definition, can also be defined as ensuring that organic and artificial components work in harmony with each other and give living things special abilities. Scientists working in this field had discovered a way to turn plants into sensors as part of a project in the past years.
After the robot cat, robot dog and even half robot half human, now we have a cyborg cockroach. Scientists in Japan have produced a half robot, half bug, as a result of their work on the Madagascar hissing cockroach. It is thought that this cyborg insect can be used in search and rescue efforts after natural disasters in the coming years.
Cyborg cockroach powered by solar energy
An international team of researchers has designed a system to remotely control the legs of a Madagascar cockroach that makes a hissing sound through the holes in its back when it feels threatened. Scientists think that this cockroach can be used in the future both to monitor the environment and to search and rescue after a natural disaster.
The research team built a solar-powered and rechargeable system. A battery and module were attached to the cockroach’s rib cage. Then a solar cell was placed in the stomach of the cockroach. Various tests were carried out to ensure that the system did not restrict the movements of cockroaches, and as a result of the tests, a module 17 times thinner than a human hair emerged.
The system basically consists of a real cockroach, an ultra-thin and flexible solar cell with a very high power output, superimposed on the nervous system of the cyborg insect. In this system, which produces 17.2 mW of power, it is enough to press a button for the cockroach to move in a certain direction.
Here comes the remotely controllable cyborg cockroach
As a result of their experiments, scientists discovered that the system can be controlled as desired via a wireless system. It is aimed that the insect, which has only a wireless motion control system for now, will be equipped with sensors and cameras in the future and used in areas such as environmental monitoring and search and rescue activities.
In particular, it is thought that other insects can be transformed into cyborgs due to the ultra-thin solar cell design. It is claimed that even flying robot insects that can be controlled by humans can be produced.
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