German startup SWARM Biotactics is developing 'bio-robotic swarms' for military use, using electrodes attached to cockroach antennae and small backpacks to control them autonomously. The swarms could be used for reconnaissance or search-and-rescue missions. The cockroaches are equipped with sensors for secure communication, navigation, and real-time data collection. If successful, these robotic swarms may be entire swarms of literal reconnaissance bugs. This isn't the first time scientists have mounted cameras on creepy crawlies, as the Pentagon has previously used insects for reconnaissance. However, entomologist Coby Schal, PhD, argues that the electrodes inserted by the researchers are thick compared to refined biological systems and are unlike anything experienced by humans.