Researchers find the inspiration for many of the technologies we use today from nature. In robotics, insects provide researchers many new ways to approach movement for walking, climbing and flying. A new product out in the market takes a different approach, by incorporating a real-life insect with modern technology to create what they call the RoboRoach.
The Bakcyard Brains team wants to encourage everyone to understand the brain; to that end, they sell many products on their site to make that possible, and the RoboRoach is one of them.
The RoboRoach will be part of the TEDGlobal conference in Edinburgh, where Greg Gage, a neuroscientist, will be demonstrating what his creation can do on stage. By encouraging young students to understand how the brain works, Greg and other scientist hope more people will enter the field and provide solutions to many of the disorders related to the brain. He wants teachers in high schools to use this tool for hands on approach to understanding neurons that is cheap and readily available to everyone.
According to the website, it took three years of research and development to create RoboRoach, and it is being marketed as the first commercially available cyborg. The cyborg is created by attaching a small backpack designed to communicate directly with the neurons in the antenna of the cockroach. In order to make all the attachments, the cockroach has to be anesthetized with ice water while surgery is performed. This part is somewhat controversial, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has weighed in on the matter with a spokesperson saying, "The RSPCA believes it is inappropriate to encourage children to dismantle and reconstruct insects."
After a successful surgery, it is possible to control the insects wirelessly using an Android or iOS device for left and right movements of the cockroach by micro-stimulation of the antenna nerves.
The specifications of the RoboRoach are:
- Total Weight: <4.5g
- Stimulation Frequencies: 1Hz-200Hz Stimulation Pulse Widths: 1ms-500ms (Max pulse width is dependent on the Frequency) Stimulation
- Stimulation Time: 5ms to 1000s
- Battery: 16mm 1632 Coin Cell Battery Use Time: 12 hours per battery
- Communication Protocol: Bluetooth Low Energy Compatible
- Supported iOS Devices: iPhone 4s+, iPod 5th generation+, iPad mini, iPad 4th Generation+ - Supported Android Devices: Motorola Droid Razr M (many others when BLE is officially released)
The company has a Kickstarter campaign for raising $10,000 to develop the hardware.
At this point, you might be wondering where on Earth you are going to get the roaches so you can attach this device and create your own insect cyborgs. The answer is best described by the FAQ section of the Kickstarter page on "How do you ship cockroaches?" The answer is, "If you live in the United States, we can send you a sturdy box of a dozen, healthy discoids, or discoid/cranifer hybrids. Cockroaches are the happiest when they aren't in a shipping box for a long period of time. Therefore, we ship cockroaches out on Monday or Tuesday via 2-3 day USPS priority mail."
