Cyborg cockroaches get tiny diving suits for disaster rescues

Pic/NTU Singapore and Waseda University

Scientists in Singapore and Japan have built a 3D-printed "diving suit" that enables cyborg cockroaches to survive and move underwater for up to three hours.

The soft, flexible suit, developed by NTU Singapore and Waseda University researchers, carries a compact oxygen generator that feeds oxygen directly to the cockroach's spiracles, the tiny openings insects use to breathe. The system uses diluted hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide to produce oxygen inside a waterproof shell.

The study, published in Nature Communications, could expand the use of cyborg insects in search-and-rescue missions where flooded drains or narrow gaps defeat conventional robots. Researchers tested the suit on Madagascar hissing cockroaches and say the insects were not harmed.