Researchers create solar powered cyborg cockroaches

It’s hoped that cockroaches can be used for search and rescue missions in dangerous areas or through disaster zones. They can fit through tiny cracks in debris, rubble, or wreckage, potentially finding human survivors in difficult to reach places. A solar cell means researchers won’t be limited by battery life – and could control a cockroach indefinitely.

You’re probably wondering exactly how a solar cell and battery even fits on a tiny insect. The backpack itself includes a lithium polymer battery, a wireless receiver, and a module that controls the cockroach’s legs.

An organic solar cell module is then mounted to the abdomen.

It’s ultra-thin and made from film, measuring only 0.004mm thick. It has to be light enough for a bug to carry and includes both adhesive and non-adhesive parts in order to keep the cockroach’s movement uninterrupted.

There’d be no point in a fancy backpack if you couldn’t go anywhere, right?

The solar cell has a power output of 17.2 mW and can run the electronics for roughly 150 minutes on a full charge. According to the researchers, this is fifty times higher than any other energy-harvesting device currently being used on living insects.

What’s more, the team says this tech could be implemented onto other insects, not just cockroaches. We could see this type of innovation extend well beyond its current uses, and it could become a staple of bioengineering in the future.

We’ll need to ensure that these developments are humane and ethical, especially as it becomes a more widespread practice. Even back in its earliest days, debate surrounding the moral implications of hijacking another creature’s consciousness has been swirling. Any video you’ll watch on the subject sparks argument in the comment section.

It is ultimately down to the individual research teams how they approach their work. For now, though, it’s early days. Could cyborg insects simply be a staple of modern environmental climate change adaption? In this warming world anything is possible.