The design bureau “Signal,” where MAI students work, is engaged in an interesting development. Young people are creating a cyborg cockroach. It will be able to shoot video in hard-to-reach places for humans.
Maria Zolotenkova, a graduate student at the Moscow Aviation Institute, spoke about this development. The neurostimulator, measuring 2-3 cm and weighing 15-20 grams, is designed for the Madagascar cockroach, as it is one of the largest species of this insect. Using the signal, it is possible to influence the direction of the cockroach’s movement. The developers intend to add commands for starting and stopping movement.
Cockroaches have an important feature: their nerve endings are very close to the carapace. The students decided to use this. They placed two electrodes on the carapace, which are connected to the neurostimulator. If a miniature camera is also attached to the cockroach’s carapace, the insect can capture what a person cannot see.
According to the developers, cyborg cockroaches can be useful to companies engaged in archaeological research. Also, with the help of such insects, it will be possible to check the condition of sewage pipes.