Australian researchers develop cyborg cockroaches for rescue and drug delivery

A swarm of giant cockroaches may seem like the stuff of nightmares, but Australian researchers say the insects could, in the future, be used by search and rescue teams to deliver life-saving medicine to people stranded after disasters.

Scientists at the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales have developed paramedic cyborg cockroaches, dubbed “paraborgs”, equipped with small injection devices and cameras.

The hope is that the insects can help keep victims of earthquakes and landslides alive by providing basic medical assistance in narrow, rubble-filled spaces before rescue teams arrive.

“Many people may not like seeing a giant cockroach running towards them, but if you are trapped under rubble or in a cave and need help, it can make a real difference between life and death,” said doctoral student Hai Nhan Le, co-author of the study published in the journal “Advanced Science”.

Research teams equipped North Queensland giant burrowing cockroaches — the heaviest cockroach species in the world, which can measure up to 8.5 centimeters — with small backpacks containing syringe cylinders and cameras.

According to the study, the research went beyond previous work on cyborg insects, which focused only on using them to locate victims, not treat them.

Operators guide insects with implants

A researcher holds a giant burrowing cyborg cockroach equipped with a human-supervised self-injection mechanism (AIM) in Brisbane, Australia — Photo: University of Queensland/Disclosure via REUTERS

Real cockroaches were used because, according to the researchers, no robot can match their agility, resistance and low energy consumption.

Implanted electrodes allowed operators to stimulate the insects' nervous systems and control their direction.

“We start by anesthetizing the insect and immobilizing it to ensure it doesn’t feel anything during the implantation process,” said biorobotics engineer and study co-author Thang Vo-Doan.

“Once we implant an electrode in the insect, we can apply a small electrical signal to activate or stimulate the nervous system so that it responds to our commands.”

The study used an “observer” cockroach, equipped with a camera to locate targets for operators, and a second cockroach, which carried the medicines and could have the release mechanism activated remotely.

During testing, the study recorded a 100% success rate for insects to reach designated control points and a 72% overall success rate for administering the drugs.

When the injection was fired at a distance of up to 15 centimeters from the target, the success rate reached 95%.

According to the study, such a system could, in the future, be used to stabilize victims in situations where every minute counts, including cases of snake bites and severe allergic reactions.

“In the future, we want to maybe have a swarm of cockroaches going deep into collapsed structures [...] we need a network with a lot of them, so we can find the victim as quickly as possible,” said Vo-Doan.

The experiments were carried out with silicone and pig skin targets, under controlled laboratory conditions.

The study stated that further testing will be needed to address challenges that operators would encounter in real-world applications, such as complex terrain, signal loss in collapsed structures, and injection safety.

Ethical guidelines for insect research are not yet standardized, but, according to the study, the cockroaches were kept in a “suitable environment” and fed dried eucalyptus leaves and apples.