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  • OUTLOOK

This cyborg cockroach could be the future of earthquake search and rescue

From drivable bionic animals to machines made from muscle, biohybrid robots are on their way to a variety of uses.
  1. Liam Drew

    1. Liam Drew is a freelance writer based near London, UK.

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Hirotaka Sato was in Tokyo when the earthquake struck in March 2011. The tremors destroyed tens of thousands of buildings and triggered a tsunami that battered Japan’s east coast, including the Fukushima nuclear power plant. More than 18,000 people died or were never found. As Sato watched desperate search-and-rescue missions unfold, he thought, “I need to develop the technology to save people.”

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03801-0

This article is part of Nature Outlook: Robotics and artificial intelligence, a supplement produced with financial support from FII Institute. Nature maintains full independence in all editorial decisions related to the content. About this content.

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