Streamlined shape of cyborg cockroach promotes traversability in confined environments by gap negotiation

TL;DR

This study shows that a streamlined, implanted PCB on cyborg cockroaches improves their ability to navigate narrow, confined spaces, enhancing their potential for covert operations in complex environments.

Contribution

It introduces a streamlined, implanted PCB design that enhances the traversability and performance of cyborg cockroaches in confined environments.

Findings

Implanted PCB improves gap negotiation success rate.

Cyborg cockroaches can follow locomotion commands via antennal or cercal stimulation.

Streamlined body shape reduces drag and enhances mobility.

Abstract

The centimeter-scale cyborg insects have a potential advantage for application in narrow environments where humans cannot operate. To realize such tasks, researchers have developed a small printed-circuit-board (PCB) which an insect can carry and control it. The electronic components usually remain bare on the board and the whole board is mounted on platform animals, resulting in uneven morphology of whole cyborg with sharp edges. It is well known that streamlined body shape in artificial vehicles or robots contributes to effective locomotion by reducing drag force in media. However, little is known how the entire body shape impacts on locomotor performance of cyborg insect. Here, we developed a 10 mm by 10 mm board which provided electrical stimulation via Sub-GHz communication and investigated the impact of physical arrangement of the board using Madagascar hissing cockroach. We compared the success rate of gap negotiation between the cyborg with mounted board and implanted board and found the latter outperformed the former. We demonstrated our cyborg cockroach with implanted board could follow faithfully to the locomotion command via antennal or cercal stimulation and traverse a narrow gap like air vent cover. In contrast to the conventional arrangement, our cyborg insects are suitable for application in a concealed environment.