A Remote-controlled Cyborg Cockroach 蟑螂機器人

While it may sound like something that has crawled out of your nightmares， cyborg cockroaches have arrived as friends rather than foes. Scientists in Japan have designed a new remote-controlled insect， equipped with a battery “backpack” that is powered by solar panels.

雖然蟑螂機器人聽起來很恐怖，但是它其實是人類的朋友而非敵人。日本科學家設計了一款新型遙控蟑螂機器人，它配備了由太陽能電池板供電的電池“背包”。

The cockroach， which is part insect and part machine， is intended to enter hazardous areas， monitor the environment or undertake search and rescue missions without needing to be recharged. The researchers from the RIKEN Cluster for pioneering research had to install some components into a tiny pack to allow for all the roachs natural movements. Lead author Kenjiro Fukuda said， “The body-mounted ultrathin organic solar cell module achieves a power output of 17.2 mW， which is more than 50 times larger than the power output of current state of the art energy harvesting devices on living insects.”

這種蟑螂機器人是蟑螂和機器人的混合體，無需充電，用于進入危險區域、監測環境或執行搜尋救援任務。來自RIKEN Cluster的研究人員進行了開創性的研究，他們必須將一些組件安裝到一個小背包中，以便讓蟑螂自由行動。研究報告的主要作者福田健次郎稱：“安裝在蟑螂機器人身體上的超薄有機太陽能電池模塊的輸出功率為17.2兆瓦，比目前最先進的昆蟲能量收集裝置的輸出功率高出50多倍。”

Famously able to survive a nuclear war， cockroaches have been the inspiration for a number of technologies in recent years. Different teams of scientists have designed remote-controlled robo-bugs that can scale walls， carry objects and find humans during search-and-rescue missions.

眾所周知，蟑螂能夠在核戰爭中幸存下來。近年來，它一直是許多技術的靈感來源。一些科學家團隊設計了可遙控的昆蟲機器人，它們可以在搜尋救援任務中穿墻、攜帶物體和尋找人類。

The cockroaches are still alive， but wires attached to their two “cerci”-sensory organs on the end of their abdomens—send electrical impulses that cause the insect to move right or left. A battery is necessary for the sending and receiving of these electrical signals， which needs to be charged up. While its possible to build docking stations for recharging the battery， the need to return and recharge could disrupt time-sensitive missions.

蟑螂機器人是有生命的，但連接在蟑螂腹部末端的兩個感覺器官“尾蚴”上的電線發出電脈沖，控制它左右移動。發送和接收這些電流信號需要電池，而電池需要充電。雖然可以建造充電站為電池充電，但返回充電可能會使時間緊迫的任務中斷。

The RIKEN team wanted to create a more practical version that did not need to return to a docking station when it ran out of power. Therefore， they designed an on-board solar cell that could continuously ensure that the cockroach stays charged while it works. However， cockroaches have a limited surface area available for all the components necessary to move its legs and keep it powered.

RIKEN團隊希望打造一個更實用的蟑螂機器人，在電源耗盡時它不需要返回充電站。因此，他們設計了一種太陽能電池，可以持續確保蟑螂在工作時保持充電。然而，蟑螂只有有限的表面積，可以用于安裝移動腿和保持動力所需的所有部件。

The solution， published in npj Flexible Electronics， was to design a special “backpack” that could neatly carry both the wireless leg-control module and rechargeable lithium polymer battery. This was attached to the top of the insect on its thorax， and was 3D printed to fit perfectly to the curved surface of the Madagascar cockroach or Gromphadorhina portentosa. It allowed for this electronic device to be stably mounted on the insect for over a month， while leaving space elsewhere on the body to implant the solar panel. The 0.004 mm thick organic solar cell module was mounted on the dorsal side of the roachs abdomen.

于是研究人員設計了一種特殊的背包，便于蟑螂攜帶遙控模塊和可充電鋰聚合物電池。這一研究成果發表在《npj柔性電子》上。研究人員將背包固定在蟑螂的胸腹上部，并運用3D打印技術使其完美貼合馬達加斯加蟑螂的身體。這種電子設備可以固定在蟑螂身上一個多月，還留出空間給蟑螂植入太陽能電池板。0.004毫米厚的有機太陽能電池模塊被安裝在蟑螂腹部的背側。

Word Bank

hazardous /'h?z?d?s/ adj. 冒險的; 有危險的

These conditions are very hazardous for shipping.

ultrathin /'?ltr?θ?n/ adj. 超薄的，極細的

It can also emit electrons so they can be used in ultrathin display screens.

abdomen /'?bd?m?n/ n. （蟲）腹部

The body is usually divided into cephalothorax and abdomen.

thorax /'θ??r?ks/ n. （昆蟲的）胸部