---
title: "Brutal Robot Kills Cockroaches Using a Powerful Laser"
description: "Researchers at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University have constructed an AI-powered robot trained to kill cockroaches and other insects with a deadly laser."
date: "2022-10-22"
modified: "2022-10-22"
authors:
  - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré"
    job_title: "Senior Staff Writer"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/robot-kills-cockroaches-laser"
categories:
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "ai"
  - "laser"
  - "robot"
  - "the digest"
---

# Brutal Robot Kills Cockroaches Using a Powerful Laser

![Researchers at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University have constructed an AI-powered robot trained to kill cockroaches and other insects with a deadly laser.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/robot-kills-cockroaches-laser.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Getty Images/Futurism\</em\>*

## Laser Time

Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have constructed an AI-powered robot trained to kill pesky cockroaches with a deadly laser.

And we can't help but wonder: why couldn't they have thought of such a machine sooner?

If the idea of targeting pests with a killer light beam makes you a little squeamish, we understand. But the device wasn't just made for the sake of seeking revenge on annoying critters — according [to *New Scientist*](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2340359-ai-controlled-robotic-laser-can-target-and-kill-cockroaches/>), the machine's inventors believe that the device could provide an inexpensive, environmentally sound replacement for [toxin-laden insecticides](<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984095/#:~:text=Impact%20on%20environment,%2C%20and%20non%2Dtarget%20plants.>).

## Machine Vision

While the engineers behind the machine say that their invention could be used to target a variety of unwanted bugs, they believe roaches are the ideal test subject.

"If you can kill them," Ildar Rakhmatulin, the project's lead, told *New Scientist*, "you can kill any pests."

Here's how it works. The device, which is comprised of a tiny computer, two cameras, and a 1,600 milliwatt laser, uses "machine vision" to hunt its prey.

While trials thus far have been promising — the device can only barely keep up with the roaches— the researchers say there's some room for improvement. Next steps, they told *New Scientist*, are training the robot to hit the insects' specific body parts, specifically their abdomens, in order to ensure their defeat. Better safe than sorry.

## Pew Pew

There are plenty of use cases. "If we talk about industrial or agricultural applications, it's a very serious possibility," Rakhmatulin told *New Scientist*. "It's very cheap, even compared to pesticides, because laser prices are not so high."

Sadly, though, in case you wanted to install one in your own home, Rakhmatulin would advise against it.

"It'll never be absolutely safe," the scientist told the magazine, explaining that lasers can cause serious eye damage. "It's my opinion that it cannot be used for home applications."

**READ MORE:** *[AI-controlled robotic laser can target and kill cockroaches](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2340359-ai-controlled-robotic-laser-can-target-and-kill-cockroaches/>)* \[*New Scientist*\]

**More on cockroaches:** *[Inventor of Cyborg Cockroach Says It Will Only Be Used for Good](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/inventor-cyborg-cockroaches-rationale>)*

## Author
At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride."

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/mharrisondupre.bsky.social>)