Robo-roach could betray real cockroaches
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http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn9136-roboroach-could-betray-real-cockroaches.html
An Insbot (centre) interacts with real roaches (Image: Jean-Louis Deneubourg)
An Insbot (centre) interacts with real roaches (Image: Jean-Louis Deneubourg)
A matchbox-sized robot that can infiltrate a pack of cockroaches and influence their collective behaviour has been developed by European scientists.
The tiny robot smells and acts just like a roach, fooling the real insects into accepting it as one of their own. Through its behaviour, the robot can persuade a group of cockroaches to venture out into the light despite their normal preference for the dark, for example.