Context:
Japanese scientists have devised a system that can create cyborg cockroaches that are part insect and part machine.
Relevance:
GS III: Science and Technology
Dimensions of the Article:
- About Cyborg cockroaches
- How is it powered?
About Cyborg cockroaches
- Cyborg cockroaches’ movements are controlled by tiny integrated circuits.
- They will be able to conduct surveillance in procedures like urban search and rescue, environmental monitoring and inspection of areas dangerous to humans.
- By equipping the cockroaches with small wireless control modules, handlers will be able to control the insect’s legs remotely for long periods of time.
- The team used Madagascar cockroaches, which are not only the largest species of cockroaches, reaching an estimated 6 cm, but are also known for making hissing sounds when disturbed, which they make by expelling air from the openings on their back.
How is it powered?
- The researchers also designed the system to be rechargeable, by powering it with a super thin 0.004 mm solar cell module that is installed on the dorsal side of the cockroach’s abdomen.
- This was done to ensure that the battery remains charged and the cockroach can be controlled for long periods of time, while simultaneously ensuring that the movement remains unhindered.
-Source: Indian Express
