It’s a different kind of “Help” by the Beetles.
Between bomb-detecting rats and medical-grade maggots, it’s clear that one person’s pest is another’s savior. The latest member of this unlikely league of heroes is a remote-controlled beetle that could potentially be used to rescue victims of natural disasters, per a spine-tingling study published in “Advanced Science.”
“It [the beetle] could be used in search-and-rescue missions as it could go into small nooks and crevices in a collapsed building to locate injured survivors,” said Dr. Thang Vo-Doan, a researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia who spearheaded the research, Phys.org reported.
The team’s revolutionary rescue project involves outfitting darkling beetles with removable backpacks that control the insect’s antenna and forewings through the use of electrodes.
These cybernetically-enhanced insects are then piloted remotely using video game controllers so they can access survivors following a mine or building collapse.
Why deploy one of the world’s oldest lifeforms instead of seemingly more advanced bots? Vo-Doan explained, “Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and maneuvering in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate.”
“Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle,” he added.
In a video demonstration, these fun-size first responders can be seen navigating an obstacle course by moving side to side and going over walls like miniature marines — capabilities that elude their synthetic counterparts.
The rescue beetles are strong for their size, able to climb while toting a battery that weighs as much as their own body. The team is currently tweaking the design so the tiny recon artists can be outfitted with cameras and a power system that will enhance their ability to navigate rubble.
With their maneuverability, sensory capabilities and strength, these beetles could reduce the time it takes to locate disaster survivors to mere hours instead of days.
“If people have been trapped under an extensive amount of rubble, you want to be able to find them as quickly as possible and start planning how to get them out,” said Vo-Doan. He said he hoped the beetles would be able to “easily move through chaotic environments to pinpoint a person’s exact location, provide clues to any injuries, and give rescuers a picture of what needs to be done to free them.”
Researchers hope to test the tech in a real-life rescue situation within five years.
This is not the first time scientists have trialed using cyborg bugs as emergency responders. In 2014, researchers at North Carolina State University turned common cockroaches into remote-controlled biobots – bionic rescuers that can locate people trapped in rubble by using microphones.
“The goal is to use the biobots with high-resolution microphones to differentiate between sounds that matter – like people calling for help – from sounds that don’t matter, like a leaking pipe,” said Alper Bozkurt, an assistant professor at the university.
