This is pretty amazing. robotic roach
Essentially what you are looking at is a cockroach with its antennae sliced off and replaced with a set of neural stimulators. These are triggered by means of photo receptors, stimulated by different series of LED combinations. In reaction to the lights the roach moves the platform front or back and left or right by walking on the trackball. This whole mess becomes a robot with a living component. Weird stuff.
So this might be your fossil fuel alternative, Biddy. Maybe your grandkid’s grandkids will be “driving” genetically souped up ostriches outfitted with brain interfaces…I don’t know. Maybe your grandkid’s grandkids will buy second hand emus for their highshool aged kids with which they can back into other emus in parking lots.
Weird. Where did you get all the info about how it works? Just by watching the clip, it looks like the roach moves and the robot basically mimics his movement. You can’t really tell if the roach is externally controlled. Anyway, interesting stuff. Of course we all know I’m a tech nerd. I bet there are plenty out there that will whine that the roach is being treated inhumanely though…
I found an article on a robotics site. I am a nerd. Anyhow, according to a forum this was done a few years ago. I have edited the post to include a pic of the controller.