Could a cyborg cockroach be trained to come to your rescue in a natural disaster? <\/p>\n
Thats what researchers in North Carolina are trying to figure out. <\/p>\n
We are raised with a phobia against insects, Dr. Alper Bozkurt, with the NC State University said. Cockroaches are our friends. <\/p>\n
The doctor has a soft spot for Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Hes an assistant professor in computer and electrical engineering at NC State University, and hes working to turn these insects into cyborgs. <\/p>\n
We implant electrodes to their antennae and we send tiny pulses, very small pulses, to their antennae. <\/p>\n
As it walks, the insect feels the pulses, believes they are obstacles and moves to avoid them. <\/p>\n
It took a few tries but Bozkurt and his assistant found a cockroach that walked the line set for them. As the assistant moves a joystick, the roach responds, moving around a U-shaped track. <\/p>\n
This kind of research isnt just interesting to watch, it could mark the start of a new era in search and rescue after disasters. <\/p>\n
Our ultimate goal is to use cockroaches in the rubble after natural disasters, like earthquakes, to find victims, Bozkurt said. <\/p>\n
These remote-controlled cockroaches could find their way through cramped, dark spaces, carrying tiny microphones and listening for survivors. <\/p>\n
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Cyborg cockroaches sound terrifying but could save lives<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Could a cyborg cockroach be trained to come to your rescue in a natural disaster? Thats what researchers in North Carolina are trying to figure out. We are raised with a phobia against insects, Dr Continue reading