
Classic sci-fi
Inspired ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrHMBletjXg
A team of scientists have developed a microchip backpack that allows them to control the movements of a cockroach by stimulating its nerve endings. Rather than trying to build a robotic insect controlled by custom software, the team from North Carolina State University used cockroaches and off-the-shelf electronics. Since …
about the 'awwwww' factor of puppies, and the 'yuck!' factor of cockroaches. I watched some History Channel 'documentary' about things that last a long time; one of the subjects was cockroaches. One of the researchers, on camera, cut off the head of a roach, and showed that both the head and body were able to keep on living.
One part of me (the head?) thought 'animal cruelty'... Interesting stuff, nonetheless.
BTW, anyone noticed how 'revisionist' / sensationalist the programs are getting? Apocalypse Island, all that IMO crap about aliens and ancient civilizations...
It's a conservation problem too. You can persuade people to stump up money to save the Giant Panda or Lowland Gorilla - at a push, maybe even the Tasmanian Devil. But no-one's going to give money to save a small black beetle that looks much the same as a million other black beetles, but has different genitalia*.
* Seriously, that's often the most reliable way to tell species of Coleoptera apart. Particularly true of ladybirds/ladybugs, apparently.
"Twin electrodes were fused to the cockroach's antenna stumps, which steer the creature by simulating them to make the cockroach think it has hit an obstruction and thus induce a change of direction. Two more sensors were attached to sensory organs on the side of the insect that can make it move forward on demand by simulating the approach of a predator."
That does seem a little harsh, even for cockroaches. I mean, imagine going about your business, avoiding walls you're sure weren't there a minute ago when a whopping great T-Rex appears behind you and those sodding walls keep moving to block your escape.
Then all of a sudden there's no walls or T-Rex and when you're just about relaxed wondering whether you've gone a bit peculiar, it all happens again.
"If that works we can leap to controlling lower forms of humanoid life (like politicians and bankers) with a Qualcomm Snapdragon controlling an underpant mounted taser."
Unfortunately adding an Qualcomm Snapdragon would probably make them more intelligent, probably not a good idea!
>No, next step is to control a hamster with a Raspberry PI.
more or less already been done... not by using embedded computer to control the rodent directly, but rather to control a Skinner Box (an automated way of training animals using rewards and punishments to reinforce desirable behaviour). The application is to air-drop a Skinner box into a country with a landmine problem. Locally available rats are then automatically trained by the box to sniff out landmines. Of course, this approach uses the rat's own 'software'. Unlike sniffer dogs, which require a close and long relationship with a salaried human trainer, rats are cheap. And can squeeze through far smaller gaps than spaniels, if used in a post-earthquake search and rescue operation.
Can't help but feel this is not taking advantage of the cockroach's existing sensory equipment. If there was a way of having them use their chemical sensors to seek out CO2/ human scents/ etc instead of their usual food, then all you would need is a tiny transmitter backpack.
Some sort of selective breeding or genetic manipulation might be able to achieve this.
I'm assuming that cockroaches are already pretty adept at finding what they want and ways of getting there- better than a clumsy human operator with a mouse would be.
Bad enough to get trapped in a collapsed building after an earthquake, lying there hurting, scared, and surrounded by darkness, but now the rescue team's going to flood the place with cockroaches looking for you?
That could cause a big enough case of the "willies" to trigger a second quake!
Mines the one with the folding pickaxe and can of Raid... just in case!
I see lots of people going down the sidewalk the same way. The only difference is they hold the optical control chip that gives direction in their hand and they seem to be completely unaware of their actual surroundings. You should see the way some of them queue up when a new optical control device is made available, it's all a bit Pavlovian really.
By the lord Harry - this is a game changer. Forget the whole cat/curry monorail situation. This is the start of a new world order.
The possibilities are endless.
Public transport – fixed. Strap a few to the bottom of your shoes, control them from your smartphone
Mass transit – fixed. Jetsons style moving walkways, with ‘roahes under metal sushi-train style plates, replace motorways in a jiffy
City Pollution – Fixed. No more cars or mass transit, fewer delivery vehicles, taxi’s etc etc.
Shopping – Fixed, attach a bag to the top of a few with a note and some cash, add the optional GPS unit and send it to the shops .
Fast food delivery – fixed – see above but replace with a plate, hmm do you want a roach delivering food – maybe not
World Debt – Fixed, everyone in the west will be able to pay off the 3rd world debt what with everyone no longer using cabs/buses/trains, having any delivery costs, transport costs, buying cars, motorbikes etc.
City council and government debt fixed - They can stop spending their cash on anti pollution legislation and technology and ‘roaches don’t care if a road is tarmaced or not.
Everyone can move to ‘the country’ and we have a lot of that here in Australia!
They can be fed food scraps so that fixes food recycling
And of course the biggest innovation for humankind
You could get it to go to the bottle shop / off llicence* and bring back beer!
I for one am moving all $3.84 of my earthly wealth into 'roach farms. Now, where's the number for my broker......
*delete based on geography
I am simultaneously intrigued and freaked out by this prospect. From a technological point of view, it's cool as hell. From a personal point of view, it gives me the ****ing creeps because I'm a big girlyman when it comes to insects. And these buggers hiss; they HISS, ffs...
Can we nuke all the cockroaches please? Contrary to popular belief, a sufficiently large dose of radiation will kill them stone dead...
If I'm pinned in a building after an earthquake, I don't think the idea having an army of cyber-stimulated hissing cockroaches crawling the wreckage would be terribly comforting. I — along with a sizable portion of the human population — share the admittedly less-than rational fear of having creepy-crawlies crawling creepily over me.