The fundamental operational range of cyborg insects, which are hybrid robots that combine a living insect with an electronic controller, is inherently restricted to the host’s natural environment. To extend their operational range, we developed a wearable diving suit for terrestrial insects. The suit integrates a miniaturised oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water. By fitting a cockroach, which is a terrestrial species, into this diving suit, we allowed it to survive and operate in oxygen-deprived environments such as underwater, transforming it into an amphibious cyborg robot capable of operation across land and water. The suit sustained respiration and locomotion for up to 3 h underwater, establishing amphibious cyborg insects that combine biological adaptability with engineered protection for prolonged exploration in extreme, confined environments.

Cyborg insects are hybrid systems that integrate living insects with electronic components1,2,3,4,5, combining the biological capabilities of insects with the technological functions of electromechanical devices to remotely induce their movements. Current cyborg insects are envisioned for use in complex tasks such as search-and-rescue missions6, pipeline inspection7 and object transportation8, with cockroach-based ones considered the most promising owing to their robustness and ease of locomotion control. Unlike conventional artificial small robots which consume substantial power to drive actuators, draining the energy stored in their onboard batteries, cyborg insects locomote with the insects’ own muscles, requiring no electrical actuation and achieving minimal power consumption9,10. Their compact size, adaptability, and robustness allow them to traverse cluttered environments and enter into confined spaces inaccessible to larger robots11.

However, their operation is constrained by the host’s physiological requirements, such as optimal oxygen and temperature levels. Naturally, the inability of terrestrial hosts like cockroaches to absorb aquatic oxygen prevents underwater functions12. Given that real-world search-and-rescue or infrastructure inspection terrains often include puddles, flooded zones, or other partially submerged areas, continuous operation requires developing cyborg insects capable of temporary submersion and locomotion underwater while maintaining normal metabolic activity.

If a miniature unit capable of supplying oxygen could be mounted onto a cockroach’s body, it might be possible to realise a cyborg cockroach that operates both on land and underwater. Cockroaches, like most terrestrial insects, breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air13,14. If oxygen could be supplied to these spiracles while preventing water entry, cyborg insects might be able to operate underwater as well as on land. To realise this concept, we designed a compact and self-contained oxygen supply system, referred to as a ‘diving suit’, based on a controlled chemical reaction that gradually releases oxygen without requiring electronic components. Utilising the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) as the biological platform, a wearable diving suit comprising a flexible shell, an oxygen generator and oxygen delivery tubes was designed enabling survival and task execution during prolonged submersion (Fig. 1A). The flexible abdominal shell insulates the abdominal spiracles from surrounding water and acts as an oxygen storage and transport tank (Fig. 1B, i). The oxygen generator is a sealed chamber containing a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution and a manganese dioxide (MnO2) catalyst. Under catalytic action, the H2O2 decomposes to produce oxygen (Fig. 1B, ii) to maintain the insects’ normal respiratory function. The oxygen delivery tubes connect the flexible shell to the cockroach’s thoracic spiracles (Fig. 1B, iii), transporting the generated oxygen to the tracheae. Together, these components enable cockroaches to achieve amphibious locomotion (Fig. 1C). This study presents an amphibious cyborg insect capable of user-induced locomotion with a low-power, compact design, that enables long-duration operation in confined and cluttered terrestrial–aquatic environments.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-74235-1