NTU developing cyborg cockroaches to inspect utility pipes

A Madagascar hissing cockroach inspecting the underside of a pipe in a mock-up scenario at Nanyang Technological University on Feb 11.SINGAPORE - 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 modeled after pipes along the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE).Each cockroach is manually fitted with a small plastic “carriage” that houses an onboard processor and an electronic circuit board — containing an upward-facing colour video camera, an LED lightbulb and a communication module for location tracking and data transmission.The Madagascar hissing cockroaches are fitted with a small plastic “carriage” that houses an onboard processor and an electronic circuit board. The insect tows the wheeled cart along the underside of utility pipelines to check for defects.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 will be alerted.The goal is to eventually deploy them into the real-world environment. But there are some obstacles to overcome first.Professor Hirotaka Sato from NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the lead researcher for the project, said: “Actual pipe environments may be darker and wetter, with possible water accumulation, compared to controlled testing conditions.”The pilot projects follows the successful deployment of 10 cyborg cockroaches in search-and-rescue efforts during the 2025 Myanmar earthquake.That project was handled by Prof Sato’s team in partnership with Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency and engineering firm Klass Engineering and Solutions.The equipment then— infrared cameras and sensors—were 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 that “infrastructure inspection takes place in more structured environments,” with are more generally defined with 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 more stable imaging and sensing hardware.Professor 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 move into infrastructure inspection came about when they saw an opportunity to adapt their research for a real-world use case.“Regular inspection helps detect issues early, so that repair or replacement works can be carried out before more serious damage or disruption occurs,” Professor Sato noted.Highlighting their small size, he said that cyborg insects are well-suited to “access tight spaces and crevices where humans cannot easily operate, making them useful in diverse environments”.The team is currently in discussion with government agencies regarding the application of such technology in real world infrastructure inspection.Singapore has a 6,000km-long water pipeline network, which supplies potable water to around 1.7 million households and businesses daily.Universities in Denmark, China, and the United States have also been developing robots for pipeline inspection. One such project, led by a team at China’s Guangxi University, successfully prototyped a soft, bionic inchworm robot that crawls through pipelines using magnetic force in 2025.Though the cyborg cockroach is currently designed for utility pipelines, Professor Sato said that the machine learning algorithm involved can be adapted to look for other types of defects in other infrastructure, like telecommunication cables and electrical cables.Should this technology prove successful in real-world applications here, Professor Sato is confident about the project’s global scalability, stressing that the concept is particularly relevant for other countries grappling with ageing underground infrastructure.He said: “Differences in pipe materials and layouts may influence how the system is adapted, but the core capability remains applicable.”Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproductionDiscover how to enjoy other premium articles here