Cockroaches Equipped With Tiny Diving Suits Could Rescue Survivors After Floods

Scientists in Singapore and Japan have developed a miniature diving suit for cockroaches, complete with an oxygen tank, allowing the insects to survive underwater for up to three hours. The goal: deploy them in search-and-rescue operations after floods or earthquakes.

The researchers used the Madagascar hissing cockroach, which grows several centimeters long and can carry up to 15 grams. The diving suit weighs just 5.5 grams, leaving room for future additions like sensors or navigation systems.

The cockroaches are controlled by the user through electrical signals. Known as "amphibious cyborg insects," they can navigate tight, debris-filled spaces both on land and underwater. Cockroaches breathe through openings on their thorax; the suit connects a small oxygen generator to those openings via tubes.

This is not the first time scientists have built remote-controlled cockroaches. In 2022, Japanese researchers developed a device that steered them with a remote control for earthquake search missions. The technology is still not fully deployable because controlling the insects is not yet flawless.

The research raises ethical questions. A major 2022 study found that insects like cockroaches likely do experience pain. The researchers note the animals were housed in clean enclosures and fed fresh carrot slices weekly, but did not directly address whether the electrodes or backpack caused the insects discomfort.

The concept of cyborg cockroach rescue teams remains experimental, but the potential for navigating disaster zones inaccessible to humans or larger robots is driving continued development.