DIY Kit Lets You Control Cockroaches Using Smartphones (Video)
Look away now if just the thought of roaches makes you nauseous. In this TedEd presentation, Backyard Brains founder Greg Gage explains how with just a few tweaks, you too can be the proud owner of your very own "Robo-Roach."
During the experiment, Greg connects an audio speaker to a cockroach's leg, causing it to flex to the beat. Gage says that the insects are not harmed during these experiments, and can live full lives after their cybernetic implants have been removed.
The company also plans to sell DIY kits to kids that will allow them to "drive" a cockroach around using a bluetooth device implanted in the insects' brains. While it all sounds like good fun, ethicists worry that letting kids play with this kit might make them devalue life and treat animals like machines.