Deep underground, a cockroach scurries through the dark and damp underside of a utility pipe.
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is on a mission to check for corrosion and leakage.
Developed by a team of researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), these insects are part of a new pilot project aimed at revolutionising the maintenance of utility pipelines.
The project, which has been in development since early 2025, is currently being tested in a simulated environment modelled after pipes along the MCE.
Each cockroach is manually fitted with a small plastic “carriage” that houses an on-board processor and an electronic circuit board, which contains an upward-facing colour video camera, an LED lightbulb, and a communication module for location tracking and data transmission.
On average, an adult Madagascar cockroach is 6cm long – 2cm longer than the local variety.
Electrodes attached to the insects’ antennae and rear deliver weak pulses that simulate the feeling of bumping into an obstacle, allowing researchers to seamlessly steer the cockroaches along a desired path.
The inspection process is automated and relies on a machine-learning algorithm to recognise specific types of pipe defects. When defects are detected, a human operator is alerted.
The goal is to eventually deploy these cockroaches into real-world environments. But there are some obstacles to overcome first.
Prof Hirotaka Sato from NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the project’s lead researcher, said: “Actual pipe environments may be darker and wetter, with possible water accumulation, compared with controlled testing conditions.”
The pilot project follows the successful deployment of 10 cyborg cockroaches in search-and-rescue efforts during the 2025 Myanmar earthquake.
The equipment then – infrared cameras and sensors – was designed to be extremely compact, allowing the cockroaches to navigate through collapsed structures and confined spaces to search for survivors.
In contrast, Prof Sato said “infrastructure inspection takes place in more structured environments”, which are more generally defined and have predictable terrain.
“This allows us to trade some degree of compactness and agility for improved sensing capability and system stability,” he added.
The tow cart was thus designed, increasing load capacity and allowing for more stable imaging and sensing hardware.
Prof Sato said the new model reduces physical strain on the insect, which improves endurance and overall operational stability during infrastructure inspection.
The team is now developing both the rescue and inspection models simultaneously. — The Straits Times/ANN
