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This Tiny Diving Suit Lets Cyborg Cockroaches Breathe Underwater for Hours

Imagine a tiny robot-like creature moving through flooded tunnels, collapsed buildings, and dangerous environments where humans and machines struggle to reach. This may sound like science fiction, but scientists have taken a major step toward making it a reality. Researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible “diving suit” that allows cyborg cockroaches to survive and move underwater and in low-oxygen environments for up to three hours.

The breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, could expand the role of cyborg insects in disaster response, infrastructure inspection, and exploration of places that are too difficult or risky for conventional robots.

Turning Insects Into Living Robots

Cyborg insects are real insects equipped with tiny electronic systems that allow researchers to control their movement. Unlike small artificial robots, which require powerful batteries and motors, cyborg insects use their own muscles and natural body systems for movement.

This gives them several advantages. They are lightweight, energy-efficient, and capable of navigating complex environments such as narrow cracks, uneven surfaces, and spaces where traditional robots may fail.

However, these insect-based machines have always faced one major limitation — they depend on their natural breathing system.

Cockroaches breathe through small openings on their bodies called spiracles. These openings allow oxygen to enter a network of internal air tubes known as the tracheal system. While this system works efficiently on land, it cannot extract oxygen from water. When submerged, the insects eventually run out of usable oxygen and become inactive.

The new diving suit solves this problem by creating an artificial oxygen supply system.

A Tiny Oxygen Tank for a Living Machine

The researchers designed the suit to work similarly to the oxygen equipment used by human divers. Instead of carrying a large external device, the cockroach wears a lightweight system that continuously supplies oxygen directly to its breathing openings.

The suit has three main components:

  • A compact oxygen-generation tank

  • A flexible waterproof shell

  • Four soft silicone tubes that deliver oxygen

Together, these parts create a small life-support system that protects the insect from water while allowing it to continue breathing normally.

The oxygen tank was created using 3D-printed PMMA-type resin, a lightweight transparent material. Inside the tank, scientists placed a sponge coated with manganese dioxide, which acts as a catalyst.

When diluted hydrogen peroxide is added to the tank, the manganese dioxide triggers a chemical reaction that breaks it down and releases oxygen. The generated oxygen then travels through flexible tubes connected to the cockroach’s spiracles.

This allows the insect to breathe even while completely underwater.

Testing the Amphibious Cyborg

The team tested the technology using Madagascar hissing cockroaches, a species commonly used in cyborg insect research because of their strong bodies, size, and ability to survive harsh conditions.

With the new diving suit, these cyborg cockroaches were able to remain active underwater for up to three hours. Researchers also tested them in artificial environments designed to mimic challenging disaster conditions, including flooded tunnels and areas with high carbon dioxide levels where oxygen availability is limited.

The results showed that the insects could continue moving despite conditions that would normally stop them.

This effectively transforms them from land-based cyborg insects into amphibious cyborgs capable of operating across both dry and wet environments.

Helping During Future Disasters

One of the most important potential applications of this technology is search and rescue.

After earthquakes, floods, and other disasters, many areas become difficult to access. Collapsed buildings may contain narrow gaps, flooded sections, unstable structures, or underground spaces where humans cannot safely enter and robots may struggle to operate.

Cyborg insects could potentially enter these dangerous areas, carrying tiny sensors and communication devices to help locate survivors or collect information.

Professor Hirotaka Sato from NTU Singapore, who led the study, explained that real disaster sites often contain blocked routes caused by flooding, rubble, and restricted spaces. Expanding the operating ability of cyborg insects to underwater environments could make them more useful in rescue operations.

Because insects naturally move through complicated environments, they may provide an advantage over traditional machines.

The Engineering Challenge

Creating the diving suit was not easy. Scientists needed to design a system that was small enough for an insect to carry while still producing enough oxygen for long-duration movement.

Professor Shinjiro Umezu from Waseda University explained that the main challenge was balancing size, weight, flexibility, and oxygen production.

The final design uses a soft waterproof structure that protects the insect without limiting its natural movements. The oxygen tubes are attached carefully to the cockroach’s body and can later be removed without causing harm.

This allows the insect to continue behaving naturally while receiving artificial support in environments where it would normally not survive.

A Decade of Cyborg Insect Research

The new diving suit builds on more than ten years of cyborg insect research at NTU Singapore. Scientists have previously developed insect-based systems designed for movement across land, water, and air.

These cyborg insects have already been explored for real-world applications, including search-and-rescue operations and infrastructure inspection.

Future versions may include advanced sensors, navigation systems, and improved durability, allowing the insects to work more independently in complex environments.

Beyond rescue missions, the technology could also help inspect flooded pipelines, underground tunnels, drainage systems, and other difficult-to-reach locations.

The Future of Living Machines

Although cockroaches are the focus of this research, the scientists believe the technology could eventually be adapted for other insects, including locusts and beetles. Many of these species share similar breathing systems, making them potential candidates for future cyborg applications.

This research represents a unique combination of biology and engineering. Instead of replacing nature with machines, scientists are learning how to enhance natural abilities with technology.

The result could be a new generation of living robots — tiny, efficient, and capable of reaching places where humans and traditional robots cannot.

In the future, these small cyborg explorers may become valuable tools for saving lives, monitoring infrastructure, and exploring some of the most challenging environments on Earth.

Reference: FAN, Z., KAI, K., SONG, K. et al. Underwater Suit-Wearing Cyborg Insect Capable of Hours-Long Diving and Terra-Aqua Travel. Nat Commun 17, 5398 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-74235-1

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