Sydney: Australian scientists have developed an unusual type of cyborg cockroach that could one day be used to locate people trapped under rubble and deliver life-saving medication during emergencies and natural disasters.

Researchers from the University of Queensland and the University of New South Wales have equipped giant burrowing cockroaches with miniature cameras, electrodes and a remotely triggered drug-delivery system.

The insects were selected because of their remarkable ability to move through narrow, difficult and debris-filled spaces. Scientists also say cockroaches require relatively little power compared with conventional robots.

Electrodes implanted into the insects allow researchers to stimulate their nervous systems with small electrical signals and guide their movements remotely. In the experimental system, one cockroach equipped with a camera was used to locate targets, while another carried medication that could be released when required.

The study recorded a 100 percent success rate in reaching designated checkpoints, while the overall drug-delivery success rate was 72 percent. When the injection was launched from within 15 centimetres of a target, the success rate increased to as high as 95 percent.

Scientists believe the technology could eventually assist emergency teams after earthquakes and building collapses, particularly when victims are trapped in spaces too narrow or dangerous for conventional rescue robots.

The system could potentially be adapted for situations where every second matters, including snake-bite emergencies and severe allergic reactions, although further research and development will be needed before such technology can be used in real-world rescue operations.

What may sound like science fiction today could eventually become a new tool for emergency medicine and disaster response—turning an insect many people fear into an unexpected potential lifesaver.