A Singaporean scientific research team recently developed a miniature underwater survival system for the "cybercockroach" so that it can still perform tasks in low-oxygen and water-filled environments, providing a new tool for future search and rescue work in flood ruins, drainage pipes and narrow gaps.This project was led by Nanyang Technological University. Researchers installed a "diving suit" device made of 3D printing, which is only about 10×10 mm, on the back of a cockroach. It is equivalent to a portable life support system and extends the application scenarios of more than ten years of research on cyber insects.
Previously, various cyber insect systems have been tested in scenarios such as search and rescue and infrastructure inspections. However, they are limited to working in a dry, oxygen-rich environment and cannot effectively enter areas soaked by floods or blocked by water. This is a major flaw in real disaster scenes. The goal of the Nanyang Technological University team is to break through the natural limitations of insects relying on oxygen in the air to breathe, allowing them to continue moving in shallow water, humid, and oxygen-deprived spaces, instead of being forced to stay in dry areas on the ground.
The core of this "diving suit" is a chemical oxygen-generating unit, which uses hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide catalysts to react to generate oxygen. It is then introduced into the valve openings on the cockroach's body through four silicone tubes, thereby directly delivering oxygen to its respiratory system. Since the entire device is designed to be highly lightweight and fixed close to the back, it minimizes interference with the cockroach's movements and allows it to maintain a close to natural movement state.
In terms of control method, the system follows the consistent architecture of cyber insects: researchers connect electrodes to the cockroach's brain and sensory organs, and the human operator sends electrical signals to achieve directional control, while the insect itself is still responsible for fine-tuning the specific gait and path. Because it takes advantage of the original flexibility and adaptability of living insects, this system does not require additional motors or large-capacity batteries, significantly reducing weight and structural complexity, while retaining the advantage of autonomous travel in narrow and irregular spaces.
To verify the effectiveness of the new device, the team 3D printed a series of narrow, pipe-like obstacle channels to simulate real-life environments such as flooded pipelines, gutters, and internal voids in collapsed structures. The test results show that the movement speed of cockroaches wearing diving devices in these simulated environments does not decrease significantly compared with that on land. The biggest difference is reflected in their underwater survival time: individuals without devices can only survive for a few minutes, while cyber cockroaches using this system can continue to move underwater for up to three hours.
Hirotaka Sato, a professor of aerospace engineering at Nanyang Technological University, said that after heavy rains or floods, real disaster sites often have flooded ruins, clogged drainage systems, and water accumulation in narrow gaps, making it difficult for traditional robots and rescue teams to penetrate deeply. He believes that by expanding the operating conditions of cyber insects and extending their range of operations to shallow water and low-oxygen environments, it is expected to significantly enhance their practical value in search and rescue missions.
The research team emphasized that this system is currently not designed for deep-water diving, but focuses on shallow water, high water content, or anoxic but narrow space environments, providing a small and durable "living tool" for areas that are difficult to enter. The relevant results have been published in the journal Nature Communications and are regarded as another progress in the research direction of deeply integrating living organisms and electronic systems instead of building micro-robots from scratch. The ultimate goal is to create a practical platform that can penetrate deep into places that are difficult for conventional robots to reach.