AI helps in spotting issues

The team guides these cockroaches remotely using gentle pulses to their antennae, steering them through tight pipe systems.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, steps in to spot issues on the video feed and alerts human operators when defects are detected.

Faster and cheaper inspections

Turns out, cockroaches handle dark, wet, uneven spaces way better than regular robots.
Plus, thanks to an automated assembly line developed with support from Japan's Science and Technology Agency, fitting each insect's electronic backpack takes about 1 minute 8 seconds, making inspections faster and cheaper.

Nature beats machines

NTU actually tested this idea during earlier rescue efforts.
Now they're bringing it back for Singapore's water pipes, showing that sometimes nature beats machines at their own game.