Cyborg cockroaches inch closer to reality

Image by The Life Files

Cockroaches have survived everything on this planet, but how about cyborg ones? Well cyborg cockroaches might become a reality. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are looking to create these robotic critters, and they're a lot closer than you think. In fact, chemistry professor Daniel Scherson has found a way to harvest energy from the chemicals swimming within these insects, which means that they may soon be able to create robot cockroaches with a more reliable power source. In order to do this, Scherson and his team incorporated enzymes capable of converting a cockroach's food intake into electrons, which can then be funneled through a fuel cell to generate electricity. Unlike similar developments that are out there, Scherson's technique doesn't rely on an external source like light, movement or batteries.