Singapore – Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have created the world’s first automated system that fits AI-powered electronic backpacks onto Madagascar hissing cockroaches, allowing the insects to move and turn sharply with precise control.

This robotic assembly line attaches tiny devices onto the cockroaches’ backs, turning them into cyborg hybrids designed for search and rescue missions in disaster zones.

Led by Professor Hirotaka Sato, the system completes each backpack installation in just over one minute — about 60 times faster than manual methods that often take over an hour.

The electronic backpacks stimulate the cockroaches through implanted electrodes, guiding their movements with 25% less power than earlier versions, which helps them run longer and safer.

In lab tests, these cyborg cockroaches made sharp turns over 70 degrees and slowed their speed by up to 68% on command. Groups of four successfully navigated more than 80% of a tricky obstacle course in just over 10 minutes.

In March 2025, ten of these cyborg insects were deployed to Myanmar after a deadly earthquake, marking the first humanitarian use of insect-hybrid robots.

“Our automated system makes it possible to mass-produce cyborg insects quickly, which is crucial for time-sensitive search and rescue,” said Prof Sato.

He hopes this technology will expand to other uses, like inspecting large structures for damage.

Prof Sato’s work has earned worldwide attention, including spots in TIME magazine and MIT Technology Review.

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