Swarm of cyborg cockroaches that act as hunting machines to be stuffed inside large robots before being released

CYBORG cockroaches could be placed inside larger robots and released on missions, according to new research.

All cockroaches have attached devices that allow them to be controlled by a computer.

Researchers from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore demonstrated how they could command and direct the creatures.

A small army of remote-controlled cockroaches has been released into a desert setting.

The test involved 20 Madagascar hissing cockroaches mounted on small computers on their backs.

The scientists then simultaneously controlled the swarm and drove it up a sandy slope.

Commands are sent to small computer backpacks.

Electrodes are used to send the commands to the cockroaches’ sensory organs.

Researchers can then tell the creatures to move left or right.

It is said that cockroaches are even able to master commands and choose their own path around an obstacle.

Scientists discovered that a cockroach would become the leader of the group.

This led to a swarm as all the cockroaches tried to follow the leader.

Cockroaches that fell on their backs were picked up by other people in the group.

The study can be found online in the journal ariXiv.

“Navigating multi-robot systems in complex terrain has always been a challenging task,” the researchers wrote.

“This is due to the inherent limitations of traditional robots in collision avoidance, adaptation to unfamiliar environments and sustained energy efficiency.

“To overcome these limitations, this research proposes a solution by integrating live insects with miniature electronic controllers to enable robotic-like programmable control, and proposing a new control algorithm for swarming.

“Although these creatures, called cyborg insects, have the ability to instinctively avoid collisions with neighbors and obstacles while adapting to complex terrain, there is a lack of literature on the control of multi-cyborg systems.”