Cockroaches might not be the most beloved of all critters - but is it ethical to control their movement with mind-control technology ? That ’ s a debate engineers at Texas A & M University are stirring with their latest ‘ robo-roach ’ device , which can control the path a cockroach takes with wireless technology . They have created little backpacks for the bugs and implanted electrodes into their nervous system to control their movement . Scroll down for video . Texas engineers have developed a method to control cockroach movement . Their backpack stimulates the nervous system in the bugs ' brains ( image provided by Dr Hong Liang ) . Doing so allows the direction of their movement to be altered . It is different to previous technologies that stimulated antennae . This is not the first technology to turn cockroaches into controllable insects - others have even released products you can buy to create your own remote-controlled roach . But previous attempts to manipulate the movements of cockroaches relied on stimulating their antennae , tricking them into avoiding objects . The technology developed by Texas A & M University , meanwhile , works by stimulating nerves in the cockroach ’ s brain to allow for greater control . The paper , published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface , details how the team built a small micro-controller , wireless receiver and a rechargeable lithium battery . These were packaged together in a ‘ backpack ’ weighing 0.007lbs ( 3g ) that was attached to the cockroach . Next , they inserted electrodes into the body of a cockroach to stimulate its nervous system . By stimulating either left or right side , the team then found they could control the bug , although it only responded correctly about 60 per cent of the time . In tests , the researchers were able to control the movement of the cockroaches around obstacles ( shown ) . While they can only control their direction for now , the researchers hope to advance the technology to have greater control , such as making it walk , run and stop on command . Speaking to The Guardian , lead researcher Dr Hong Liang said the benefits of such technology could include attaching cameras or sensors to cockroaches , and having them explore areas humans can not - such as disaster zones . ‘ Insects can do things a robot can not , ’ she said . ‘ They can go into small places , sense the environment , and if there ’ s movement , from a predator say , they can escape much better than a system designed by a human . ‘ We wanted to find ways to work with them. ’ While they can only control their direction for now , the researchers hope to advance the technology to have greater control , such as making it walk , run and stop on command . In November 2014 researchers from North Carolina fitted the hardy creatures with electrical backpacks complete with tiny microphones to detect the faintest of sounds . The idea is that cyborg cockroaches , or ‘ biobots ’ , could enter crumpled buildings hit by earthquakes , for example , and help emergency workers find survivors . ‘ In a collapsed building , sound is the best way to find survivors , ’ said Alper Bozkurt , an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University . ‘ The goal is to use the biobots with high-resolution microphones to differentiate between sounds that matter - like people calling for help - from sounds that do n't matter - like a leaking pipe . ‘ Once we 've identified sounds that matter , we can use the biobots equipped with microphone arrays to zero-in on where those sounds are coming from . ’
Texas engineers have developed a method to control cockroach movement . Their backpack stimulates the nervous system in the bugs ' brains . Doing so allows the direction of their movement to be altered . It is different to previous technologies that stimulated antennae . The device could be used to explore disaster zones with cockroaches .