It is designed to trick real cockroaches into following its lead, with the goal of finding ways of adapting their behavior as a means of natural pest control.
[2] At first, Insbot's predecessor, Alice robot, faced some setbacks due to its size and its inability to properly recognize the cockroaches.
It runs on wheels and contains many computer processors, which are connected to cameras and proximity sensors, to help it avoid bumping into obstacles or other cockroaches.
One recent challenge was to find a way to add pheromones to the robot which would allow it to communicate and build trust with the other cockroaches.
[3] With its ability to mimic their behavior and smell, Insbot is able to fool the rest of the cockroaches into believing that it is a part of the group.
In this position, the scientists hope it can get the rest of the cockroaches to follow it out of their hiding places into the open where pest controllers can target them.
[2] If Insbot is able to accomplish the task of getting the rest of the cockroaches to follow its lead, it will show that mixed societies can actually be controlled.