Bugs with a Mission: The Rise of Cyborg Cockroaches

When a powerful earthquake struck Tokyo, an entire apartment building collapsed—trapping the Yoshida family beneath the rubble of their ground-floor home. They were unable to move or communicate with the outside world, fearing they might die a slow and agonizing death. As if the suffocating terror weren’t enough, cockroaches began crawling around—and over—them. What the family didn’t know was that these insects would be their unlikely saviors. Just hours after the building’s collapse, rescue teams reached them—already aware of how many survivors were there and who needed to be evacuated first.

This scenario is still fictional, but it’s edging closer to reality with the development of a new generation of cyborg cockroaches. These are live insects equipped with tiny computer chips, allowing researchers to guide them toward a destination by leveraging their natural agility and mobility. The insects also carry sensors that collect environmental data. One day, cyborg cockroaches could be used to locate survivors in disaster zones that are too dangerous or inaccessible for humans.  They could also be used in agriculture—from pollination to pest control—or even in intelligence operations, transmitting information from behind closed doors.

In this latest breakthrough, researchers from Osaka University in Japan and Diponegoro University in Indonesia mounted the chips on the backs of Madagascar hissing cockroaches, to take advantage of their natural climbing and navigation skills, connecting the device directly to the insect’s nervous system. This enables the researchers to set a destination, while leaving the cockroach to determine the most efficient route—navigating around or over obstacles using instincts refined over hundreds of millions of years of evolution.

From rescue missions to agriculture to espionage. A cyborg cockroach carrying the system developed in the new study | Photo: Mochammad Ariyanto, Diponegoro University

Obstacle Course

The device mounted on the cockroaches includes a range of sensors to measure temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors, along with motion sensors that track the insect’s movements. The researchers call the system BIOBBN, short for Biohybrid Behavior-Based Navigation. In a recently published study, they reported testing two versions of the system—one designed for relatively smooth terrain, and another optimized for more rugged environments. “ The first navigation system could utilize a bulkier and heavier electronic backpack, while the second needed a more compact, lighter one to accommodate its complex terrain navigation,” the researchers explained.

To evaluate the system’s performance, the team created a sandy test course scattered with stone and wood obstacles. The cockroaches were directed toward a target using electrodes connected to their nervous systems, but they were left to determine their own path around—or over—the obstacles. If a cockroach tipped onto its back due to the weight of the device, it had to right itself without assistance. “The navigation performance was evaluated against obstacles without sharp corners like low barriers and tall walls of known height. The obstacle negotiation was based on its innate locomotion and natural behaviors” the researchers noted. The researchers reported that the insects were also able to successfully complete an obstacle course they had never encountered before.

Harnessing the cockroaches’ natural instincts to overcome barriers. The obstacle course used in the experiment | Photo: Mochammad Ariyanto, Diponegoro University

Thinking Small

The cyborg cockroaches developed in this study are not the first of their kind. For more than three decades, researchers around the world have been developing cybernetic animals—living creatures integrated with robotic interfaces, designed to harness the strengths of biology and technology. Over time, these systems have become increasingly sophisticated, owing, in part,  to the miniaturization of many electronic components and major advances in the knowledge and technologies bridging computers and nervous systems.

Most cyborg animal research has focused on insects. Their compact size, remarkable mobility, availability and relatively simple nervous systems make them ideal candidates—not to mention the practical and ethical advantages of working with insects rather than mammals.

Among the most common choices are cockroaches. Their sturdy bodies can carry relatively heavy loads, they can squeeze through narrow gaps, and they’re remarkably resilient to harsh conditions. Researchers have not only developed miniaturized electronics to control the cockroaches’ movement and harness their abilities, but even incorporated solar energy systems that can power these devices and extend their operational time.

The team behind the current study hopes to see their cyborg cockroaches move beyond the lab. "I believe our cyborg insects can achieve objectives with less effort and power than purely mechanical robots,” said the head of the research team, Kaijsuke Morishima. “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.”

The researchers envision a broad range of future applications. Beyond disaster zones and search-and-rescue efforts, cyborg insects could be deployed in extreme environments—from low-oxygen zones and deep-sea expeditions to outer space.  They may even support archaeological excavations, slipping through narrow openings to guide researchers through hard-to-reach spaces.