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US Startup Creates Robot Cockroaches with AI and Sensors to Operate in Military Reconnaissance Missions in Hard-to-Reach Areas
A startup in the United States is drawing attention with an unusual project: spy cockroaches. Swarm Biotactics, based in San Francisco, is developing insect-shaped robots for use in military scenarios.
The goal is to employ these bionic cockroaches in reconnaissance and information-gathering missions in hard-to-reach locations.
The company claims to have raised 10 million euros — about R$ 65 million — in seed funding.
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This amount was obtained with support from investors in Europe, the United States, and Australia. With this, Swarm intends to turn its project into practical reality in the coming months.
The robot cockroaches carry a customized tech backpack. Inside are the control systems, detection sensors, and a secure communication module.
This allows them to operate in groups, with precise navigation and real-time data transmission. The swarms function as autonomous units capable of entering areas where other equipment cannot reach.
According to Stefan Wilhelm, CEO of Swarm Biotactics, this type of robotics represents a new category. “We are entering a decade in which access, autonomy, and resilience define geopolitical advantage,” he stated.
For him, current systems fail precisely where control is most important — in prohibited areas, collapsed locations, and politically tense regions.
“SWARM is the first company to develop biologically integrated systems, with AI and capable of operating en masse,” he emphasized.
The next step will be to deploy the robots in action. The technology is beginning to move out of the research phase and into practical testing. The idea is to test the swarms in real situations, with programmed missions.
Moritz Strube, co-founder and technical director of the company, explained that the focus is on creating a versatile platform.
“Our mission is to build a scalable dual-use intelligence platform that adapts to any terrain, threat, or mission,” he stated.
Founded in 2024, Swarm Biotactics works on creating biorobotic systems for defense, security, disaster response, and industrial inspections. The foundation of the technology combines biology, artificial intelligence, and swarm intelligence techniques.
With information from Terra.
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