Japanese researchers invent a remote control for cockroaches

Most of the time, people are not happy to see cockroaches. The insect is known around the world as a pest – a creature that causes problems for humans.

However, the cockroach is a useful insect for research scientists. It could one day be used to help find survivors after major earthquakes.

Scientists in Japan are working on a system they can link to insects that would allow remote control.

Kenjiro Fukuda leads a team at the Thin-Film Devices Laboratory at Riken, a company that does scientific research. The team created a thin solar cell that they could attach to a cockroach’s body. It is thinner than human hair.

The cell allows the cockroach to move freely but sends signals to the organs that control the insect’s legs.

Researcher Yujiro Kaki attaches a solar cell to a “backpack” of electronics attached to a Madagascar Hessian cockroach during a photo opportunity at the Riken Thin-Film Devices Laboratory of Japan Research Foundation Riken in Waku, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Sept. 16, 2022. (Reuters) / Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Scientists believe they can control cockroaches from a distance. This means that they will be able to send insects into a stricken area, such as a building destroyed by an earthquake. Small insects can reach places that humans and even rescue robots can’t. With the right equipment, they can be used to help find survivors stuck under broken pieces of buildings.

Work is developing a project undertaken by scientists in Singapore.

Fukuda said the problem with rescue bots is that their batteries run out quickly. However, the insect moves on its own. The battery only sends a signal that makes the cockroach move, so it lasts longer.

“The electricity required is nowhere near as much as what is needed to save robots,” Fukuda said.

The research team uses hissing crickets from Madagascar. These crickets are large enough to carry equipment and strong enough to stand on their feet if dropped.

Although the research is going well so far, the technology is not quite ready for use in the real world. For example, in a recent demonstration, scientists sent signals to a cockroach that caused it to move left. However, the cockroach moved in circles when they sent a signal telling it to move properly.

A Madagascar cockroach, carrying a “backpack” of electronic devices and a solar cell that enables remote control of its movement, passes an obstacle during a photo opportunity at the Riken Thin-Film Devices Laboratory of Japan Research Foundation Riken in Waku, Saitama Prefecture, Japan September 16, 2022 (Reuters) / Kim Kyung-Hoon)

The next step is to see if there are cameras and small sensors that can be placed on the cockroach’s back. The team created the first backpack using a material purchased at an electronics market in Tokyo for just $35.

Even if the thin film solar cell cannot be used for rescue missions, Fukuda said, there may be a number of future uses.

For example, cells in clothing can be used to measure a person’s health. Cells can also be added to a canopy. When used in this way, it can help the cells generate enough energy to charge a mobile phone.

I’m Dan Friedel.

Dan Friedel adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by Reuters.

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The words in this story

remote – adj. far or away

umbrella -n. An item in your possession that protects you from rain and sun

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