SINGAPORE, July 6 -- Cyborg cockroaches may soon be able to operate in flooded or partially submerged disaster zones, thanks to a new flexible "diving suit" developed by researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Japan's Waseda University.

The Straits Times reported that the suit allows the insects to survive and move underwater for up to three hours by supplying oxygen directly to their respiratory system. The innovation aims to overcome a key limitation: cyborg cockroaches, despite being equipped with infrared cameras, sensors and electrodes, cannot breathe when fully submerged.

The suit consists of a tiny chemical oxygen-generation tank, a soft waterproof shell and four silicone tubes that channel oxygen to the cockr...