Researchers from Singapore and Japan have unveiled an algorithm that uses cyborg cockroaches to enhance disaster response and search operations. The joint research effort, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Communications in January, details the design of an adaptive control algorithm for these insects that mimics human strategies of group formation and collective navigation.
The team believes that deploying multiple swarms of cyborg insects can help overcome "human and robotic limitations" during rescue operations in disaster-stricken urban areas.
"In search and inspection missions, large areas must be efficiently surveyed, often in difficult and obstacle-rich terrain," said Hirotaka Sato, the lead author from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, according to Discover Magazine. Traditional robots often struggle with debris, tight spaces, and power limitations, complicating search and rescue efforts, especially in difficult-to-access areas like disaster zones and extreme environments.
Cyborg insects offer solutions to these challenges. Each cockroach carries a backpack with tiny electronic devices, including sensors, a battery, and an antenna affixed to its back. These devices deliver navigation commands to the cockroaches when needed but otherwise stay out of the way, allowing them to rely on their own navigation skills and avoid obstacles naturally.
The algorithm designates one cockroach as the leader insect, to which the planned target is communicated. The leader's control backpack coordinates with those of the other group members to lead the swarm and "nudge" them using gentle pulses towards a target. This system provides a general direction for the group while allowing individual cockroaches to choose their own paths through uneven terrain.
In laboratory experiments, a swarm of 20 cockroaches moved more dynamically and flexibly when guided by the new adaptive control algorithm that mimics human strategies of group formation and collective navigation. The cockroaches helped each other overcome obstacles, and researchers were surprised when a toppled insect was spontaneously helped by passing neighbors.
"Instead of trying to control them precisely by force, we found that a relaxed and generous approach not only works better but also leads to the natural emergence of complex behaviors, such as cooperative actions that are difficult to design as algorithms," said Professor Naoki Wakamiya from Osaka University.
"I believe our cyborg insects can achieve objectives with less effort and power than purely mechanical robots," said Keisuke Morishima, senior author.
Researchers emphasize the potential use of cyborg cockroaches in search and rescue operations. They can inspect post-disaster sites that are too dangerous for humans, helping rescue workers find survivors in difficult terrain. Sending human rescuers into unstable structures is dangerous, making search and rescue operations after earthquakes particularly risky.
The impact of cyborg cockroaches is multiplied when larger swarms are deployed, allowing teams to increase the speed and scale at which an area can be scanned for search and rescue missions, infrastructure inspection, or environmental monitoring, such as on farms.
Researchers are applying the technology to other insects, such as beetles, and are testing it on crabs for underwater searches. The team plans to develop algorithms for swarm actions that go beyond simple movements.
"The creation of a functioning robot on a small scale is challenging; we wanted to sidestep this obstacle by keeping things simple," explained Mochammad Ariyanto. By simply attaching electronic devices to insects, they can avoid the finer details of robotics engineering and focus on achieving their goals.
The researchers are considering using cockroaches for deep-sea or space exploration due to their ability to survive in low-oxygen environments. The team suggests that the cockroaches' light weight and careful nature could provide access to delicate and sensitive cultural heritage sites without fear of damage.
"Our autonomous biohybrid navigation system overcomes problems that have traditionally challenged robots, such as recovering from falling. This is what is needed for stepping outside the laboratory and into real-life scenarios like wilderness," stated Morishima.
The team plans to conduct experiments in more complex outdoor areas like rubble piles. They aim to develop new types of cyborgs that are not limited to insects and test them in larger and more complex environments.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.