Cyborg Roaches Can Stab You With Needles

Imagine you are trapped under rubble after an earthquake and you see an electronics-covered cockroach with a spring-loaded needle on its back scuttling toward you. Although the sight might be unnerving, to say the least, this prototype paramedic cyborg, or “Paraborg,” might one day help deliver lifesaving aid to disaster victims who might be otherwise impossible to reach.The Hardest Problems in RoboticsFor decades, scientists have sought to develop cyborg insects as “a shortcut