Researchers have taken the idea of insect-machine hybrids to a strange new place: an underwater one.
According to Tom's Hardware, scientists in Singapore have created a 3D-printed, remote-controlled cyborg cockroach — a living insect fitted with electronics that let it be steered by an operator. The bugs are equipped with infrared (IR) cameras, giving their handlers a way to see through the darkness.
The headline feature is a flexible, 3D-printed "diving suit." Tom's Hardware describes it as a kind of scuba gear that lets the cockroach survive and move underwater for up to three hours — a notable stretch of time for a creature that would otherwise drown.
The goal isn't novelty for its own sake. Tom's Hardware reports that the Singaporean team envisions the insects being deployed in rescue operations, where a small, living, remotely guided body could slip into collapsed structures, flooded spaces, or other tight and dangerous spots that people and bulky robots cannot easily reach. The researchers also point to exploring extreme environments, and Tom's Hardware notes they cited places as far-flung as Mars.
Using a real insect rather than a fully built robot has a practical logic: cockroaches are famously durable, can already climb and squeeze through gaps, and don't need engineers to reinvent locomotion from scratch. Bolting on cameras, controls and a waterproof shell effectively borrows biology that machines struggle to match.
Why it matters: if living cyborg insects can reliably see, swim and be steered into places humans can't safely go, they could become a low-cost tool for finding survivors after disasters — and a preview of how blurred the line between animal and machine is becoming.