Researchers at UC Berkeley have created another mechanical creature: the robotic cockroach. While it may be unpleasant to find one of these squirmy pests in your house, the cockroach is a natural marvel due to its incredible speed and resilience.

ROACH, or Robotic Autonomous Crawling Hexapod, mimics the cockroach’s ability to traverse difficult terrain swiftly, scamper into tiny spaces, and survive long falls. These qualities could be particularly useful for finding survivors among the wreckage of an earthquake. In addition, ROACH costs less than $1 to make and can be manufactured in under an hour!

Filed under: e-News, Electrical, Mechanical

Tags: Earthquake engineering, Electrical, Mechanical, Robotics