RoboRoach: Control a Live Insect From iPhone, SolePower: Generate Power by Walking

iOS users have many exciting R/C toys available to them. It is fun to play around with those but have you ever wanted to control live insects from your phone? The idea may sound strange for some but that’s exactly what RoboRoach is all about. It is the world’s first commercially available cyborg. RoboRoach is part cockroach and part computer.

So you wonder how the developers pulled this off. It all comes down to science:

Cockroaches use the antennas on their head to navigate the world around them. […] Cockroaches use the antennas on their head to navigate the world around them. The backpack we invented communicates directly to the neurons via small electrical pulses. The cockroach undergoes a short surgery (under anesthesia) in which wires are placed inside the antenna. Once it recovers, a backpack is temporarily placed on it’s back.

Once the surgery is done, you will be able to send commands to your cockroach from your mobile phone. The backpack uses pulses to make the roach think there is a wall on one side, so it turns. When you think about it, the RoboRoach is not really a toy but a tool to learn more about how a brain works. Each kit will include a reusable backpack and 3x recording electrodes. You will have to bring your own insect. RoboRoach supports iPhone 4s+, iPod 5th generation+, iPad mini, iPad 4th Generation+. Interested? Don’t forget to support these guys on Kickstarter.

It is very hard to top what RoboRoach offers. But the idea behind SolePower is interesting in its own way. SolePower is all about generating power when you walk. We are talking about a power generating shoe insole for charging mp3 players, GPS devices, and other electronics. Just slip it into your show, connect the battery, and walk.

SolePower has a water resistant design. You will need to walk up to 5 miles to generate enough energy to charge an iPhone. SolePower can not only get you unstuck but also help people in developing countries. Another exciting Kickstarter project worth exploring.