Scientists have created tiny AI backpacks that can turn cockroaches into robot-like helpers for searching dangerous areas after disasters.

A team from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) built the first machine that can quickly attach smart backpacks to Madagascar hissing cockroaches, letting them move with very accurate control.

The machine works like a mini assembly line, placing the devices on the cockroaches' backs to turn them into part-robot insects that can help in rescue missions after disasters.

Led by Professor Hirotaka Sato, the system completes each backpack installation in just over one minute - around 60 times faster than manual methods that often take more than an hour.

The electronic backpacks stimulate the cockroaches through implanted electrodes, guiding their movements with 25 per cent less power than earlier versions, which helps them run longer and safer.

In lab tests, these cyborg cockroaches made sharp turns over 70 degrees and slowed their speed by up to 68 per cent on command. Groups of four successfully navigated more than 80 per cent of a tricky obstacle course in just over 10 minutes.

In March 2025, ten of these cyborg insects were deployed to Myanmar after a deadly earthquake, marking the first humanitarian use of insect-hybrid robots.

Professor Sato said: 'Our automated system makes it possible to mass-produce cyborg insects quickly, which is crucial for time-sensitive search and rescue.'

He hopes these robot-insects will also be used in the future to check big buildings and structures for damage.

His research has become well-known and has been featured in prominent magazines like TIME and MIT Technology Review.