Robots, in the form of cockroaches, are currently being developed by researchers from the Institut Teknologi Bandung.
According to a recent report, the goal of the project is for the robot to be used for stealth intelligence operations.
Among the abilities that the robot will be able to do are tapping and reconnaissance, similar to what robots in the form of insects in the movies can do.
The developer explained that the absence of insect-shaped robots that function as surveillance technology prompted them to develop one.
The insect-shaped robots that are found in markets are purely toys. He reasoned that there is a strong need for stealth surveillance technology in the country.
Moreover, foreign technology cannot be used for gathering intelligence because sensitive and confidential information might be involved, particularly if the intelligence is about the country.
They are developing the technology themselves in order to also protect the integrity of the institution.
This will have a large impact on their intelligence-gathering capability of the country if they are able to do this successfully.
The robot is still in the development process. The functions have already been tested but the cockroach shell casing remains to be done. They are targeting the end of the year for this project to be finished.
There is a nano-controller device inside the robot as well as a single bot computer. Several connections to the robot can be made be through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and an input-output auxiliary.
The robots will be able to communicate with each other through Wi-Fi.
Developments are also being done on its motor and sensor capabilities. A 5-megapixel camera with an autofocus will be used. To address the sound tapping capability, a microphone will be attached.
Further developments will be on the size of the robot. They need to minimise the size of the robot because its current size is too large to be used for surveillance.
They might face the limitation of making the complex functions work successfully if the parts were in a smaller scale.
The team is also envisioning the possibility of including a face-tracking application on the robot. This would allow them to input the face that the robot must track and follow.
With a surveillance function, the robot, ideally, should be able to remain hidden. It must be capable of looking for a location that will be subtle as to not expose its presence when tracking an individual.
With the goal of being used for stealth intelligence operations, the robots should be able to collect correct data and information without being discovered.
Hopefully, this tool can be used by intelligence agencies someday in order to help safeguard the country. This initiative has opened the possibility of exploration for this kind of technology in Indonesia.
