'Cyborg’ beetles set to revolutionize urban search, rescue operations

Australian researchers have developed technology that could revolutionize urban search and rescue operations by deploying "cyborg" beetles, according to the University of Queensland.

The beetles are equipped with microchip backpacks that can locate disaster survivors more quickly, especially in building and mine collapses.

The University of Queensland's (UQ) Thang Vo-Doan and research assistant Lachlan Fitzgerald demonstrated that operators can remotely guide darkling beetles fitted with packs via video game controllers, it said a Tuesday.

The research is published in Advanced Science and is a collaboration between the UQ Biorobotics Lab, the UQ School of the Environment, the University of New South Wales and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University

The "cyborg" beetles enable rescuers to remotely guide them through rubble by sending electrical signals to their antennae or forewings, harnessing the insects' natural agility.

"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," said Vo-Doan, the study's lead author.

The project shows that the "cyborg" beetles can be guided sideways and up walls, something small robots struggle to do due to their lack of natural agility and environmental sensing.

While initial tests used a tethered power supply, the beetles can carry batteries of their own weight, and researchers are working to add cameras and improve power systems for real-world use.

"While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them," said Fitzgerald. "This difficulty arises from the need for active foot pads, soft environmental interactions, and sophisticated sensing capabilities-all things that our cyborg insects possess naturally that allows them to access any area that is required in a disaster environment."

The technology is expected to be tested in a live situation within the next five years.

"We hope to produce a tool that can 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," said Vo-Doan.