Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, Sept. 22 (Reuters)-in the event of an earthquake in the future, survivors are trapped under tons of rubble, and swarms of semi-mechanical cockroaches may be the first to find them.

This is the potential application of a recent breakthrough made by Japanese researchers, who demonstrated the ability to install "backpacks" of solar cells and electronics on cockroaches and control their movements remotely.

Kenjiro Fukuda and his team from the thin Film equipment Lab of Riken in Japan have developed a flexible solar cell film that is 4 microns thick, about 1x25 of the width of human hair, and can be mounted on the belly of cockroaches. The film allows cockroaches to move freely, while solar cells generate enough electricity to process signals and send directional signals to the sensory organs of the cockroach's hind legs.

The work, based on previous cockroach control experiments at Nanyang technological University in Singapore, may one day create mechanized cockroaches that can enter dangerous areas more effectively than robots.

"the battery inside the small robot runs out quickly, so the time to explore is very short," Fukuda said. "one of the key benefits of [semi-mechanical cockroaches] is that cockroaches make themselves move, so they don't need as much electricity."

Fukuda and his team chose Malagasy hissing cockroaches because they are big enough to carry equipment and do not have wings that interfere with work. Even if backpacks and film are glued to their backs, these bugs can pass through small obstacles.

CTOnews.com learned that the study still has a long way to go. In a recent demonstration, Riken researcher Yujiro Kakei used dedicated computers and wireless Bluetooth signals to tell the robotic cockroach to turn left, but it just darted in that direction. But when the signal was given to turn right, the cockroach turned in a circle.

The next challenge is to miniaturize the components so that cockroaches can move more easily and allow sensors and even cameras to be installed.

In addition to disaster relief cockroaches, Fukuda believes that solar cell films are also widely used in other areas, which are made up of microscopic layers of plastic, silver and gold. The film can be built into clothing or skin patches to monitor vital signs. He also said, for example, that on a sunny day, a solar umbrella covered with this material could generate enough electricity to charge the phone.

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