A 3D-printed backpack let remotely controlled cyborg cockroaches keep moving underwater for 3 hours, extending their usual submersion limit of about 30 minutes.
The suit generates oxygen on board: a manganese-dioxide-coated sponge reacts with hydrogen peroxide, then feeds oxygen through silicone tubes to the insects' spiracles.
In debris-course tests mimicking flooded disaster sites, the cockroaches reached 78.4 mm per second underwater versus 87.5 mm per second on land, suggesting only a modest loss of speed.
Researchers say the system could help search rubble, drains and narrow flooded gaps that are hard for humans or conventional robots to access, with possible future use in other low-oxygen environments.