Researchers atNorth Carolina State University have figured out how to make cyborg cockroaches -- or biobots, as they call them -- pick up sound and seek out its source. So one day, the first responders to a rubble-filled disaster scene might be rescue roaches. <\/p>\n
Cyborg cockroaches aren't new: They came on the scene a few years ago, with DIY enthusiasts jumping to create their own remote-controlled bugs. It's not all that difficult to perform the necessary surgery and hook a roach up to a computerized backpack. <\/p>\n
But while some people find it fun to steer a cockroach around, the obvious application is in search-and-rescue: Cockroaches are tiny and resilient, perfect for getting through the nooks and crannies of a disaster zone. If rescue workers can control them and have them carry mics and cameras, they can be used to track down survivors. <\/p>\n
This work, published in IEEE Sensors, is a great step in that direction. The researchers equipped their latest biobots with an array of microphones, which together can detect the direction of a sound and steer the biobot toward it. <\/p>\n
Right now, the microphones pick up any sound at all -- whether or not it's important. The next step is teaching the system to pick out important noises, like human voices. There's a long way to go, but rescue roaches are certainly on the horizon. Maybe one day we'll associate the bugs with hope instead of dirty bathrooms. <\/p>\n
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has reportedly filled a complaint against the makers of the RoboRoach kit, which allows users to control the movement of a cockroach via a smartphone app by microstimulation of its antenna nerves. (YouTube\/Backyard Brains) <\/p>\n
Rachel Feltman runs The Post's Speaking of Science blog. <\/p>\n
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Read the original:<\/p>\n
Cyborg cockroaches can hear you call and scurry to the rescue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Researchers atNorth Carolina State University have figured out how to make cyborg cockroaches -- or biobots, as they call them -- pick up sound and seek out its source. So one day, the first responders to a rubble-filled disaster scene might be rescue roaches. Continue reading