This Cyborg Cockroach's Nervous System Is Hardwired for Remote Control

In this day and age of minute technology, it seems a bit creepy that folks are using tech on roaches to manipulate an actual life form. Who knows, this could be part of an effort to help in other ways, ie paralysis patients, but it troubles me what other uses could come from this research..

gizmodo.com

Cockroaches have often been selected for remote control cyborg treatment, but they're typically given instructions by electrically stimulating their antennae. This little, critter, though has the electrics on his back hardwired into his nervous system, allowing for human remote control of his motor functions.

The cockroach in the picture carries a battery-powered microcontroller—much like the commercial units you can buy to create your own RC-roach. But those DIY kits simply use electrodes to stimulate the animal's antennae. Researchers from Texas A&M University have found that directly tapping into the pro-ganglion—a bundle of nerve cells in the cockroach's first thoracic segment—provides far better results.

Other related articles here:

www.news.com.au...

www.theguardian.com...

a reply to: JacKatMtn

Poor Cockroach

a reply to: JacKatMtn
Finally!
A way to sneak in to Area 51 with a tiny camera and mic.

originally posted by: JacKatMtn
In this day and age of minute technology, it seems a bit creepy that folks are using tech on roaches to manipulate an actual life form. Who knows, this could be part of an effort to help in other ways, ie paralysis patients, but it troubles me what other uses could come from this research..

With stuff like that there will always be other uses...eeyuk!

A cock roach can get into anything, or anywhere. Gives a whole new meaning to the word "bug".

ETA:

verb:

conceal a miniature microphone in (a room or telephone) in order to monitor or record someone's conversations.

Biologists discover electric bacteria that eat pure electrons rather than sugar...

As for the repercussions of finding bacteria that eat and excrete electrons, the most obvious use is in the growing fields of molecular motors and nanomachines. These bacteria, at their most basic, are machines that consume raw electricity — and so, with some clever (genetic?) engineering, it stands to reason that we might one day use them to power tiny machines that can perform tasks that are currently carried out by expensive, human-operated machines

www.extremetech.com... ife

Bio-nonotech is coming.

Poor bacteria.

a reply to: smurfy

We've had threads on how tiny "new tech" is for the surveillance community, (insect drones), why not insect sized tech roaches to do this job stated, searching rubble for survivors, instead of this 50's horror film type venture....

Damn that TCM for airing plenty of those B horrors the past few days !!

This has been a thing for a few years. It's actually pretty easy to do at home with a few easy to gather materials. Essentially the science behind it is pretty simple. A cockroach will respond by moving in a certain direction when a low-voltage current is applied to one of it's antennae or the other. This essentially allows you to "steer" the cockroach.

Still very neat, though.

ETA: I see now the OP described this very thing, and what is purported in the article is in fact direct brain control. Please disregard my ignorance.

a reply to: JacKatMtn

No... leave the poor thing alone...

The poor thing must be living a nightmare...

That kicks a ton of ass. I want to put one of these on my kitten.

originally posted by: JacKatMtn
In this day and age of minute technology, it seems a bit creepy that folks are using tech on roaches to manipulate an actual life form. Who knows, this could be part of an effort to help in other ways, ie paralysis patients, but it troubles me what other uses could come from this research..

gizmodo.com

Cockroaches have often been selected for remote control cyborg treatment, but they're typically given instructions by electrically stimulating their antennae. This little, critter, though has the electrics on his back hardwired into his nervous system, allowing for human remote control of his motor functions.

The cockroach in the picture carries a battery-powered microcontroller—much like the commercial units you can buy to create your own RC-roach. But those DIY kits simply use electrodes to stimulate the animal's antennae. Researchers from Texas A&M University have found that directly tapping into the pro-ganglion—a bundle of nerve cells in the cockroach's first thoracic segment—provides far better results.

Other related articles here:

www.news.com.au...

www.theguardian.com...

originally posted by: JacKatMtn
a reply to: smurfy

We've had threads on how tiny "new tech" is for the surveillance community, (insect drones), why not insect sized tech roaches to do this job stated, searching rubble for survivors, instead of this 50's horror film type venture....

Damn that TCM for airing plenty of those B horrors the past few days !!

I didn't say no, no no to any good purpose, quite the opposite. The truth is that the same scenario can be used for good or bad when it becomes fit for purpose, it's nothing to do with movies per se. They made this creature their Cyborg as it says in the OP, and so as they say it will be useful for finding people in rubble...that's great.
Here's the technology so far, and I'm thinking if it's going to get any better, they are going to need some black budget military application forbye



Hey! I'm just thinking, did they get that little guy drunk as a skunk in the hope that he would comply better! reminds me of ol' GW, not knowing his right from the left

a reply to: JacKatMtn

What will be the big breakthrough in my estimation is the exact opposite: Take a small critter, such as a mosquito, map its entire nervous system and use that brain to operate a robotic body as it did the biological body. A biologically driven smart drone.

Donatello would be proud, and Mikey's certainly enjoying it... But Raph?

a reply to: JacKatMtn

Not only did I learn that people can buy a kit to remote control a roach, but also that people do actually buy them.

Also, this is gross...lol. I think I hate roaches more now...