Scientists from the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad have created the smallest robotized spy in the world. The experts from the University's tech division have announced that they've successfully finished testing the spying capabilities of the robotic roach they've built.
According to them, their brainchild will bring a lot to the table for Russia's intelligence agencies, as well as rescuers. The latter will specifically be able to be used for searching for people buried under collapsed or burning buildings.
The contractor of the RoboRoach is a Russian organization, whose technical specifications require it to resemble a cockroach as closely as possible, state University reps. And indeed, the spy roach appears fully similar to a cockroach. The experts have even taken care to have its movement be similar. The South American species Blaberus Giganteus was used as the model.
The miniature spy can travel at an unbelievable 30 cm / sec. Its body length is 4″ (10 cm), weighing in at 8 grams. The RoboRoach can carry an additional weight of 10 grams - the scientists have kept this feature in mind so that miniature cameras or bugging devices could be mounted on it if necessary.
The direction of movement of this insect-like Bond is controlled via highly sensitive sensors, a system of contact and contactless sensors for detecting and avoiding obstacles. With them, the device can find its away unerringly in any terrain.
The scientists have managed to design and build the RoboRoach in just 7 months. They are not allowed to say, for obvious reasons, when and if their invention will begin operation for federal agencies, but the plan is for it to be available to all search and rescue organizations in the Russian Federation by the end of 2020.
Attempts at building an electronic insect have been made in the past but no one has been able to make it as small as the RoboRoach.
