Imagine walking down a busy street and an earthquake hits. You’re covered in rubble and unable to move.

Firefighters are unable to help due to the instability of the terrain. But don’t worry – a clever little remote control animal is coming to your rescue.

Scientists are finding ways to use animals – some alive – to help save lives. Tekoia can never pass up a good story where remote control devices are the heroes.

Let’s look at why scientists are exploring remote control animals and see what progress they have made.

The Cyborg Animal Isn’t for the Movies Anymore

You might think this tale is taken from a sci-fi book or movie, but in fact, strapping a remote control device on an animal and controlling it is happening – and it’s helping science.

Using remote control animals are replacing human workers in a variety of situations. These include:

• Dangerous jobs
• Difficult rescues
• Clearing fields of hidden landmines
• Pest control
• Military surveillance
• Mapping underground areas
• Surveying animal populations

A remote controlled animal is operated by stimulating their neurological system – which is wired – to learn responses to the stimuli it receives from electrical impulses.

So, a person can remote control the animals’ movements and steer it in the right direction.

It does not harm the animal as they only receive positive stimuli and no negative stimuli.

So, what animals are they using? You might be surprised to find out.

1. An Army of Remote-Controlled Cockroaches

Yes, you heard us right. Scientists are using cockroaches to find survivors in a disaster.

Dr. Alper Bozkurt from NC State, who is assisting in the project, is training cockroaches to respond to sound.

This current system, however, relies on constant visual feedback from the operator who is controlling the cockroach. To apply the necessary electrical impulses to control the cockroach’s behavior, the operator must be looking at it.

Check out the video of how the team steers the cockroach with sound (don’t worry, the annoying sound stops so you can watch the video in peace).

2. Watch out! It’s a Cyborg Beetle to the Rescue

If you think the thought of a cockroach crawling up your leg to save you makes you a little jumpy, then you might scream if you saw a beetle flying towards you.

The Nanyang Technical University (NTU) and the University of California (UC) Berkley developed a remote controlled flying beetle, calling it the “bio-drone.”

The scientists chose this specific animal because it can carry heavy payloads, making it ideal to use in search and rescue missions.

Strapping on microphones and thermal sensors, the beetle can explore small spaces in a collapsed building that would otherwise be inaccessible to humans.

Take a look at the remote-controlled beetle in action.

3. Remote-Controlled Penguin Rovers Make it Easy to Study Penguins

This last story doesn’t include a live animal, but we couldn’t pass up this cute remote control animal.

Scientists have found it difficult to monitor and study penguins in Antarctica. Traditionally, penguins would have to be caught, tagged with radio-frequency tags and then released.

This caused a lot of stress to the animal, causing fights within its colony. This method also had limitations in transmitting data. Penguins had to be within 2 feet of the antennae for scientists to receive data.

But, with this new remote-control penguin rover, studying penguins has never been easier.

Scientists disguise the rover to look like a baby Emperor penguin or an adult Emperor penguin and then send it in to integrate with the colony. The majority of the penguins hardly react, and if they do, it was to communicate with the rover.

Studying penguins has been difficult, but now with this new remote controlled penguin, scientists can get a better glimpse into how climate change is affecting penguins’ behavior.

Technology Saves the Day

Innovation and technology are used for many things, one of which is remote control animals that could save your life.

So, next time you spot a cockroach or a beetle, think twice before killing it. They could very well save your life.

Over to you – would like you to be rescued by a cyborg cockroach or beetle? Or, would you rather play with a remote-control penguin rover?