Roaches to the rescue: insect provides blueprint for robotic first responder

Researchers at University of California at Berkeley are developing a mechanical roach after finding its exoskeleton is uniquely suited to fitting into small spaces

Search and rescue missions of the future could be led by a horde of robot cockroaches, with US researchers developing a mechanical version of the reviled insect in order to serve the whims of its human overlords.

A University of California at Berkeley team found that cockroaches, despite their reputation as unwanted vermin, are superbly adaptable creatures able to contort their bodies to fit into various small and awkward spaces.