Published August 27th, 2026 - 12:26 GMT
ALBAWABA - Giant burrowing Australian cockroaches are being augmented to become first-responders in earthquakes and similar disasters.University of Queensland biorobotics researchers alongside biomedical engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) have come up with cyborg rescue cockroaches called ‘paraborgs’ designed to find people trapped under rubble and give them urgent care.The ‘paraborgs’ are fitted with cameras and miniature medical injectors for search and rescue missions, taking a step ahead of earlier concepts that proved that the cockroaches were quite capable of finding trapped people.Scientists from the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales are turning cockroaches into tiny, high-tech search-and-rescue cyborgs. pic.twitter.com/QWkQ2bl4Tg— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 27, 2026 “Cyborg insects have been designed for search and explore missions for the past couple of decades,” one bioengineering researcher said.“We wanted to take the next step. Once they find someone, can they actually help?” referring to the medical injectors; custom-made to fit on the paraborg’s backs.In testing the proof-of-concept, the paraborg’s close-range injection (positioned within 15cm of the target) achieved a 95 percent success rate while the complete task of finding and injecting people had a 72 percent success rate.“The cyborg insect has to navigate to the target, position itself accurately and remain stable enough to perform the injection,” Le said.“A lot of people might not like the sight of a giant cockroach scurrying towards them, but if you’re trapped in rubble or stuck in a cave and need help, it could make a real difference between life and death.” the researchers said.“If cyborg insects can safely enter spaces we can’t, locate casualties and ultimately help deliver emergency care, they could become another valuable tool in the future of urban search and rescue,” one fire and rescue expert added.
