Reviewed by Lexie CornerMay 14 2025
Researchers at the University of Osaka have created a new kind of insect cyborg that can navigate on its own, without the need for wires, surgery, or electrical shocks.
The approach uses a tiny ultraviolet (UV) light helmet to guide cockroaches by tapping into their natural tendency to avoid bright light, particularly in the UV range. This method avoids stressing or damaging the insects while maintaining consistent, long-term control.
Conventional cyborg insects rely on electrical stimulation to influence movement, often requiring invasive surgery and posing risks to vital sensory organs. These electrical signals also become less effective over time due to habituation, where the insect adapts and stops responding.
Instead, the Osaka team harnessed a behavior known as negative phototaxis, in which insects instinctively steer away from UV light. Without any direct contact with nerves or muscles, the researchers could direct a cockroach left or right by illuminating either eye.
To enable real-time guidance, the team fitted the insects with a lightweight wireless sensor backpack and a UV light helmet. If the system detected the cockroach had stopped moving, it activated the UV light to prompt renewed motion—an energy-efficient strategy that minimized unnecessary stimulation.
In 150 test runs, the UV-guided cyborg insects consistently responded without signs of habituation. In a maze test, 94 % of the cyborg cockroaches successfully escaped, compared to just 24 % of normal cockroaches.
The researchers say this is the first study to demonstrate reliable control of cyborg insect behavior using only the insect’s natural sensory system, without the need for electrical intervention. Their Bio-Intelligent Cyborg Insect (BCI) model significantly reduces physical strain on the animal while improving its navigational responsiveness in complex environments.
Study lead Keisuke Morishima emphasized the importance of working with an insect’s biology rather than overriding it, calling the approach a step toward more humane and efficient bio-hybrid robotics.
Instead of overriding the insect’s brain, we are guiding it through its own senses. That makes the system safer, more stable, and more sustainable.
Keisuke Morishima, Study Lead, The University of Osaka
This light-based method offers a low-impact alternative for guiding insect-based systems in applications such as environmental monitoring, confined-space surveillance, and search-and-rescue operations in areas inaccessible to conventional robots.
Journal Reference:
Refat, C. M. M., et al. (2025) Autonomous Navigation of Bio‐Intelligent Cyborg Insect Based on Insect Visual Perception. Advanced Intelligent Systems. doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202400838.