Scientists want to use cockroaches to find victims in collapsed buildings

Scientists have attached a sophisticated device to control the brains of cockroaches.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut put small neurons on the cockroach to control the movement of these insects inside buildings. This study was presented on Thursday at a conference on neuroscience. Scientists have developed an easier way to control and monitor insect movement.

Abhishek Dutta, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Connecticut, who developed the device, said: "The use of insects as the basis for small robots has amazingly useful applications in many fields. from search and rescue to defense We believe our microelectronic devices provide a more sophisticated and reliable control system, which gives us a step closer to pressure. use this technology in the real world ".

The microcircuit is attached to a live cockroach via a small backpack-like device on its back.

The team tested the device on Madagascar cockroaches. According to National Geographic, cockroaches are about 2 to 3 inches long and can live for 2 to 5 years. The microcircuit is attached to a live cockroach via a small backpack-like device on its back. The development of these devices has many difficulties in history because they are very small in size. To mount the device, the wire from the circuit is connected to the insect antenna lobe.

When researchers transmit a small amount of light to nerve tissue in the antennae, they can trick the cockroach into thinking there is an obstacle. The cockroach will then move in a different direction - the direction the operator wants. When supplying power to the right antenna, the cockroach will move left and vice versa.

Although similar devices have been developed in the past, this circuit is unique because it contains an advanced nine-axis inertial measuring unit that can track the rotational and linear acceleration of cockroaches, as well as the direction animals move. It can also detect temperatures around insects. By detecting the temperature, scientists can predict how cockroaches will act because heat can affect them.

But the researchers found that over time, cockroaches reacted less to artificial stimulation. For example, if the cockroach turns to the right when the first charge is sent to its left antenna, the next time will not be as effective. With intensive research and future improvements, cockroaches fitted with this brain control device can help locate people in collapsed buildings that rescue teams cannot access.