Beetles fitted with tiny, removable microchip backpacks could one day be deployed to locate survivors trapped under rubble in the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes, building collapses and mine failures.
University of Queensland researchers Dr Thang Vo-Doan and research assistant Lachlan Fitzgerald have successfully demonstrated that Zophobas morio, or darkling beetles, can be remotely guided using video game controllers.
The beetles are fitted with lightweight packs that stimulate their antennae or forewings (elytrons) to prompt directional movement.
“Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and manoeuvring in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate,” Dr Vo-Doan said. “Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle.”
The long-term research project is based at UQ’s Biorobotics Lab in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering. The team hopes to test the cyborg beetles in a real-world disaster response setting within five years.
Mr Fitzgerald said the latest breakthrough – guiding the insects up vertical surfaces and side-to-side – was achieved in collaboration with UQ’s School of the Environment, the University of NSW and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them,” Fitzgerald said.
“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.”
While the beetles currently rely on a tethered power source for some tests, they have also successfully climbed while carrying a battery equal to their own body weight. The team is now refining the design to include cameras and an efficient onboard power system to further increase mobility.
“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,” Vo-Doan said.
“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.”
The research has been published in Advanced Science.