Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook & HTX
In a world-first, Singapore has deployed ten cyborg cockroaches to Myanmar in a groundbreaking mission to assist search-and-rescue efforts after a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake on 28 March that has claimed over 3,000 lives.
According to The Straits Times (ST), the cyber-enhanced critters were flown into Myanmar on 30 March, joining the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)’s elite Operation Lionheart team.
This marks the first-ever global deployment of insect-hybrid robots in a real-world humanitarian crisis.
Source: HTX
The groundbreaking tech is a collaboration between the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and Klass Engineering and Solutions.
While these robotic roaches are still technically in the research-and-development stage, the severity of the Myanmar disaster prompted HTX to deploy them earlier than planned.
The team initially deployed them in Myanmar on 31 Mar, followed by two more deployments on 3 Apr in the capital city, Naypyitaw.
On 29 Mar, SCDF deployed a team of 80 personnel along with four search dogs to Myanmar.
The HTX team, made up of two engineers from HTX and two from Klass Engineering and Solutions, joined the operation the following day with the cockroaches.
Each Madagascar hissing cockroach, about 6cm long, is fitted with tiny infrared cameras and sensors. Thanks to their size, they can squeeze through rubble and narrow gaps no human or rescue dog could reach.
Engineers use tiny electrodes to stimulate and direct the cockroaches’ movements remotely. A machine-learning system analyses data from their sensors, scanning for signs of life, and transmits it wirelessly to the team on the ground, who then allocate resources accordingly.
Though no survivors have been found by the cockroaches yet, they have proven useful in navigating dangerous, collapsed zones
The roaches were originally scheduled for deployment around 2026, following their showcase at the Milipol Asia-Pacific and TechX Summit in Singapore in April 2024. But in light of the emergency, HTX fast-tracked their use.
Speaking to The Straits Times via video call on 4 April, HTX engineer Ong Ka Hing shared that their team flew to Yangon before embarking on a seven-hour road trip to reach the disaster zone.
Source: HTX
In a video call with ST on 4 Apr, Mr Ong said: “The roads were cracked and we had to take several detours.”
“We also saw people displaced from their homes, sleeping in the open, with a lack of food and water. It’s been a surreal experience.”
Their initial deployment on 31 Mar took place at a collapsed hospital covering an area roughly the size of two football fields.
After SCDF had conducted a sweep of part of the area with search dogs, they requested the HTX cockroaches to perform a more thorough inspection under the rubble, which took approximately 45 minutes.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook & HTX.