Russian science minister calls for mass production of cockroach robots

Science & Space February 26, 2016, 21:18

The cockroach robot can be used for spying and searching for people trapped under debris

KALININGRAD, February 26. /TASS/. Russian Education and Science Minister Dmitry Livanov has proposed launching mass production of miniature cockroach robots designed in Kaliningrad, the local university’s press service said on Friday.

"We should start mass production of these cockroaches as the new gadget will be interesting and useful both for children and adults," the minister was quoted as saying by the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University.

Livanov was shown the 10-centimeter robot, which looks and behaves like a cockroach, during his visit to Kaliningrad’s science and technology park.

The robot designed for one of Russian companies can move at a speed of 30 centimeters per second and penetrate almost inaccessible areas.

It is equipped with light sensors and can carry weight up to ten grams, for instance, a portable camera. The cockroach robot can be used for spying and searching for people trapped under debris.

Yulia Shkurkina, the university’s spokesperson, said the robot is being upgraded and the minister’s proposal of its mass production "is quite realistic in the future with the university’s help."

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