Robo-roaches give robot armies new reproductive prowess

We give robots all the credit for being our one day overlords, but if you base world domination potential on who is busting out the babies, we'd have to go with cockroaches. So we're really not too surprised to see them both joining forces to create a super being: the Robot Zombie Cockroach. A research team at Tokyo University is making these bio-bots by lopping off the antennae of regular roaches and replacing them with pulse-emitting electrodes. The researchers then send signals with a remote control to a backpack worn by the roach that powers the electrodes. The roaches can be told to go left, right, forward and back, and the team sees all sorts of "betterment of humanity" applications such as outfitting the bugs with mini-cameras to take on the good old search and rescue, or for a bit of espionage. We just hope they keep these guys away from the vats of radiation in the other room, or we're going to have some super-ninja-robo-roaches to deal with before long.

[Cool Girl @ Jan 10th 2006 1:42AM]

Second!!

[Serg @ Jan 10th 2006 1:59AM]

Wow.. that is just freaky.. I'd hate to see that little guy crawling around my house at night!



Shameless plug for my new Gadget Forum site:



http://www.gizmoforum.com

[VQH @ Jan 10th 2006 2:15AM]

Bow to our new masters

[Guide @ Jan 10th 2006 2:26AM]

Looks like an insect emergency vehicle.



Poor roach. It must have a major back-ache having to carry that heavy pack of firetruck lights around.

[lakiolen @ Jan 10th 2006 2:34AM]

Cockroaches as spies has already been done in "The Fifth Element".

[Pat @ Jan 10th 2006 2:37AM]

Can you just imagine the market for remote control bugs?! What if they could slap these things onto spiders, crickets, flys...maybe larger creatures...I'd buy one if I could have a remote control bird or something....



If they commercialize this, I want a cut...

[Pat @ Jan 10th 2006 2:49AM]

#5



I believe that was a cricket, not a cockroach.

[Phil @ Jan 10th 2006 3:04AM]

The first of the Fifth Element Prophesies to come true.

[reddaemon @ Jan 10th 2006 3:47AM]

looks like there's a good use for roaches after all!

[Dogtown @ Jan 10th 2006 4:21AM]

There goes our IT jobs...

[jygsaw @ Jan 10th 2006 4:42AM]

I for one welcome our new robozombroach overloards into my cereal boxes and pantry in general.

[Jose @ Jan 10th 2006 5:44AM]

Sorry, guys, but, this story is nine (9) years old.



Google search for "TALMADGE+japan+associated+press+roaches+robot"

[TZK @ Jan 10th 2006 6:10AM]

Look... I can... make periods... after all... my posts... too...

[Flip @ Jan 10th 2006 6:44AM]

The also did this with rats, saw it on discovery channel some time ago.

[Flip @ Jan 10th 2006 6:47AM]

The also did this with rats, saw it on discovery channel some time ago.

[glad @ Jan 10th 2006 8:25AM]

radiation has no effect on cockroaches and a vast number of other bugs, so come the nuclear holocaust, the bugs shall inherit all our iPods and Tivo!

[ET @ Jan 10th 2006 9:07AM]

I thought I saw this same news couple years ago.

[Hitesh Sawlani @ Jan 10th 2006 9:18AM]

Cruelty to roaches?



Chopping of any animals's body parts and controlling their body actions against their wishes just seems like controversy waiting to happen.

[Jeff @ Jan 10th 2006 9:46AM]

I, for one, welcome our new Robot Zombie Cockroach overloards.

[Jerome @ Jan 10th 2006 9:58AM]

yeah, this is what I tought, it is really old! I even read the entire article.



It is still cool, I even seen the other cockroach machine where the insect is on a track ball ( like a mouse ) where is runs ans make the robot move.

[Paulo @ Jan 10th 2006 10:18AM]

All Hail RoboRoach

[Buzzcut @ Jan 10th 2006 10:24AM]

BS. Fraud. Hoax. Not true.



Dude, you can't control a roach through its antennae. That's just stupid.

[shamasis @ Jan 10th 2006 10:29AM]

This is unfair. We geekies find this very valuable. But, from humanitarian point of view, this is cruel.



However, I agree that biological research work is more viable than developing pure robots... at least we will not have the judgement day!!!!

[WhyNot @ Jan 10th 2006 10:48AM]

One word...





RoboChicken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kandykitten @ Jan 10th 2006 10:51AM]

How disgusting and inhumane.

[Angel of Death @ Jan 10th 2006 12:47PM]

This is not robot cockroach - its a cyborg! The first member of the new Roach Collective...!



AoD

[LTM @ Jan 10th 2006 12:59PM]

cruel and pointless and always the sneaky suspicion that one day they'll be sticking this sort of things on all our heads to keep us in line so we can all say in room 101 that we love Big Brother. A.K.A 1984

[Officeslacker @ Jan 10th 2006 1:02PM]

They've done something similar with rats and are going to use them to sniff out bombs and people in disasters:



http://www.newscientist.com/channel/mech-tech/dn7302



Cockroaches and rats, why can't they use something less disgusting. Find bombs with hamsters or bunnies?

[Angel of Death @ Jan 10th 2006 1:08PM]

I am disappointed in your sci-fi cred sirs, this is clearly not a robot, but is indeed, a cyborg cockroach. All hail the first new member of the Roach Collective!



AoD

[neonenergy @ Jan 10th 2006 5:02PM]

Its not like they are beaming directions into their brains, cockroaches use their antennas as a sensory input, just like we use our five senses. Its basically the matrix for cockroches.

[paperless @ Jan 10th 2006 5:23PM]

Ive seen this with rats.......... and i saw it on video......... i think it was discovery channel or something, mer and my cousing after watching it couldnt stop discussing about ethical questions and stuff.



Very interesting.

[The ZeroCorpse @ Jan 10th 2006 6:00PM]

It's not that difficult, I'd imagine. After all, my theory is that insects are merely bio-engineered robots (replicants, if you must) that were left on Earth to maintain it. They're very like robots: Form follows function. They follow a set "program" and rarely, if ever, deviate. Each insect has a specific function and carries out that function without hesitation.



They *are* bio-droids.



However, scientists *have* found ways to manipulate even humans with this sort of thing. I read a report a while back about a guy who let them try it on him, and he said it was an eerie, frightening feeling, but also felt a bit like being drunk. He *wanted* to walk right, but walked left anyway, without any control over his legs. He wanted to stop, but kept on walking. He said it was sort of scary not being able to make his own body react to his wishes.



So. . . When they want to offer you an implant to improve your sex life or make you more secure: You. Say. NO!

[tempusmaster @ Jan 10th 2006 7:20PM]

They're even more amazing when you see them in motion like the one in this video - ( http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/12/the_product_of_.html ). It turns out that there are several groups doing this type of research. The earliest work, as far as we've been able to tell, was done by Garnet Hertz and is described in this post - http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/10/warning_not_for.html .

[Neoimpact @ Jan 11th 2006 9:06AM]

http://www.robots-dreams.com/2005/12/the_product_of_.html

That is only somewhat like this example. That is in fact a cockroach responding to lights (or so the site says I wonder then if the researchers or perhaps just the site writers understand that this would not work too well unless one is in a dark room and said lights are very bright) and then moving a track ball, to propel a mobile machine in a given direction. The applications for this are simply to make motor functions possible for those who are limited in them. Or perhaps to more Sci-fi To create oh say a mech, that completely protects its pilot (Via a lack of windows) and can then be controlled rather easily.



On to the topic at hand, the Cyborg Cockroach is barely that.. He's more of a modified slave. Since he actually gains no use from the device and it's simply used to control him, I would call the device a techno-whip not a bio-mechanical 'improvement'.

At any rate, this is entirely plausable, though inhumane. And at the core of it all, it's truly just scary.. Think of the wretched applications? Makes me want to curl up safe and sound in a bomb shelter and stay far away from hospitals..

[Athique Ahmed @ Jan 11th 2006 10:48AM]

How is it inhumane, it's a bleedin' cockroach.



Oh look that little kid who messes around with ants is inhumane and disgusting.

[Neoimpact @ Jan 11th 2006 2:11PM]

The comment of Inhumanity is more directed towards the other animals who will no doubt follow in testing. For the record most of the researchers who have gone over this have moved on to mice. Since a chip is easier to implant than a back-pack, and mice can be pretty much anywhere cockroaches can, with their ability to compress themselves to a near flat position. But even with cockroaches, I find it morally and ethically wrong to mutate a creature then enslave it to follow your exercised will. If that is silly of me then so be it.