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Here’s where you can grab the Switch 2 Pro controller and other accessories

Here’s where you can grab the Switch 2 Pro controller and other accessories

The Switch 2 has finally landed, but it isn’t the only hardware Nintendo is launching this week. The company also introduced a range of new accessories for its new gaming console, the bulk of which are now available online at Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, and Target. From a redesigned Pro Controller to a camera that lets you video chat with your friends, each is designed to level up your gaming experience.

Sadly, President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy has resulted in slight price bumps on several Switch 2 accessories — including the aforementioned Pro 2 Controller. There’s no telling whether we can expect more price hikes down the line, either, meaning if you have secured a Switch 2 and want to pick up a second controller or another accessory to go with it, now might be the time to act.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller

The removable Joy-Cons are great for portable and wireless play, but their small, curveless design can feel cramped during longer sessions if you have larger hands. That’s why the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller might be worth a look, especially if you mostly game in TV mode. The upgraded version of one of our favorite Nintendo Switch controller features a few welcome improvements, including a pair of rear GL and GR buttons players can use to remap other controls. Nintendo has also finally added a 3.5mm audio jack, allowing you to pair it with a headset or a set of wired headphones. The gamepad even features the aforementioned “C” button.

As of writing, you can pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller for $84.99 at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Antonline. It’s also currently on sale at Costco for $74.99 ($10 off), though, per usual, you’ll need a premium membership to take advantage of the latter deal.

Nintendo’s Joy-Con controllers are bigger than the original and snap onto the Switch 2 magnetically, eliminating the need for sliding rails. The right Joy-Con also features the new “C” button, which you can use to pull up Nintendo’s new in-game chat system, GameChat, which will be free until March 31st, 2026. While the second-gen controllers don’t feature Hall effect joysticks, Nintendo says they’ve been redesigned for smoother movement. The Joy-Con 2s also feature new optical sensors, which let you them like mice in compatible games.

The Switch 2 comes with a pair of Joy-Cons, but if you want a second pair, you can currently grab them for around $94 at Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and the My Nintendo Store.

Joy-Con 2 Wheel (set of two)

If you plan on picking up the new Mario Kart World — or you were lucky enough to snag Nintendo’s limited time bundle — the Joy-Con 2 Wheels are worth a look. Simply snap the Joy-Con 2 controllers, which connect magnetically, into the steering wheel attachments before booting up your preferred racing title. The two-wheel set is currently available for around $24.88 from Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector

The Switch 2 is a pricey gadget you’ll want to keep safe, so it’s a good idea to invest in a carrying case like the Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case & Screen Protector. We’ll likely see a wealth of third-party brands release their own version in the coming weeks, but Nintendo’s proprietary offering is one of the few reputable offerings available at launch.

The bundle — which includes a console-only carrying case, screen protector, and cleaning cloth — is only available for around $39.88 at Walmart and Target, even if it was originally available elsewhere.

Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case

Nintendo also just launched an All-In-One Carrying Case, which is more spacious than the model mentioned above. The higher-end case features separate compartments for stowing the console and various goodies, including the Switch 2 dock, Joy-Con 2 controllers, cables, and up to six game cards.

Unfortunately, while it was initially available at most big-name retailers (including Walmart and GameStop), it’s currently only available directly from Nintendo for $84.99.

Supposedly, you can video chat with friends via GameChat using any compatible USB-C camera, but Nintendo offers its own solution in the form of the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera. The 1080p camera is designed to sit on a stand, allowing you to display your face as a picture-in-picture overlay or as a dedicated video feed. A few titles, such as the upgraded version of Super Mario Party Jamboree, let you see your friends on-screen while you play. Some mini-games even incorporate the camera into the game experience itself.

The camera features an adjustable wide-angle lens, designed to capture groups of people in a single shot, as well as a “high-sensitivity image sensor” that automatically adjusts brightness levels. It also features a built-in privacy shutter and includes a USB-C charging cable, as well as support for TV, tabletop, and handheld modes.

You can currently order it for around $54 from Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, and Nintendo.

Unlike the standard Joy-Con 2 grip that comes with the Switch 2, Nintendo’s so-called Charging Grip features customizable GL and GR buttons — just like the Switch 2 Pro Controller — and can be used to charge your Joy-Cons via an included USB-C cable. Otherwise, it appears pretty similar in functionality to the original Switch’s charging grip, allowing you to combine the Joy-Con 2 controllers for a more traditional gamepad.

Right now, you can pick up the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip starting at $39.88 from Walmart, GameStop, and Nintendo.

Other Switch 2 accessories

Nintendo also released a handful of smaller accessories this week, including Joy-Con 2 straps, AC adapters, and a standalone dock set for those who want a second. They can be found via the retailers below in most instances.

  • Joy-Con 2 Straps ($13.88): Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, Target, and My Nintendo Store
  • Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set ($119.99): My Nintendo Store
  • Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter ($34.88): Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, Target, and My Nintendo Store
  • Samsung 256GB microSD Express Card ($59): Walmart, GameStop, Best Buy, Target, and My Nintendo Store
  • Nintendo Gamecube Controller ($64.99): My Nintendo Store

Update, June 5th: Updated to reflect current pricing and availability, as well as the release of several new accessories.

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#Heres #grab #Switch #Pro #controller #accessories

ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.

ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications

ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.

ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter.

ASUS TUF Gaming A15

ASUS Launches Vivobook 15 with Special Prime Day & Flipkart GOAT Sale Offers
	
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day and the Flipkart GOAT Sale, ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.



ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications



ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.



ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter. 



ASUS TUF Gaming A15







Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.



The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.



Price, Availability, and Sale Offers



ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.



The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus

Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.

Price, Availability, and Sale Offers

ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.

The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus">ASUS Launches Vivobook 15 with Special Prime Day & Flipkart GOAT Sale Offers
	
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day and the Flipkart GOAT Sale, ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.



ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications



ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.



ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter. 



ASUS TUF Gaming A15







Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.



The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.



Price, Availability, and Sale Offers



ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.



The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus

has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.

ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications

ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.

ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter.

ASUS TUF Gaming A15

ASUS Launches Vivobook 15 with Special Prime Day & Flipkart GOAT Sale Offers
	
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day and the Flipkart GOAT Sale, ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.



ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications



ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.



ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter. 



ASUS TUF Gaming A15







Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.



The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.



Price, Availability, and Sale Offers



ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.



The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus

Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.

Price, Availability, and Sale Offers

ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.

The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus">ASUS Launches Vivobook 15 with Special Prime Day & Flipkart GOAT Sale Offers

Ahead of Amazon Prime Day and the Flipkart GOAT Sale, ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.

ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications

ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.

ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter.

ASUS TUF Gaming A15

ASUS Launches Vivobook 15 with Special Prime Day & Flipkart GOAT Sale Offers
	
Ahead of Amazon Prime Day and the Flipkart GOAT Sale, ASUS has unveiled the newly designed Vivobook 15 in the Indian market. This laptop is the first in the country to feature Intel’s new Core 5 Series 3 processor and targets users seeking an optimal combination of performance, portability, and AI capabilities. Along with the newly announced model, ASUS is providing discounts on other laptop variants.



ASUS VivoBook 15 Features and Specifications



ASUS Vivobook 15 is equipped with the latest Intel Core 5 Series 3 Processor, along with the advanced Intel AI Boost NPU, delivering up to 16 TOPS of performance. It also supports AI-enabled Windows features and includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 512GB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. The laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen and Wi-Fi 6.



ASUS has designed the Vivobook 15 with a lightweight 1.7kg body for better portability. It has added a backlit keyboard with a dedicated Copilot key, a fingerprint sensor for secure access, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter. 



ASUS TUF Gaming A15







Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.



The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.



Price, Availability, and Sale Offers



ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.



The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus

Alongside the Vivobook 15, ASUS has launched another model, the TUF Gaming A15, which will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Day. The gaming laptop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS chip and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card that has 4GB of graphics memory. This gaming laptop also has 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 144Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals. ASUS offers the TUF Gaming A15 in Graphite Black. It is available at a launch price of Rs. 1,24,990 during the Prime Day sale.

Price, Availability, and Sale Offers

ASUS is combining the launch of the Vivobook 15 with limited-time shopping offers across its laptop portfolio. The new laptop is priced at Rs. 1,07,990 and will be available only on Amazon and Flipkart. Buyers can pick from Cool Silver, Quiet Blue, and Terra Cotta color options. They can also access bank discounts, Easy Pay benefits, and no-cost EMI for up to nine months.

The sale extends beyond the Vivobook 15. ASUS is offering discounts of up to 55% across selected consumer, gaming, and creator laptops. Buyers can also get instant bank discounts of up to Rs. 6,000, exchange bonuses of up to Rs. 20,000, and no-cost EMI for up to 18 months on select models. ASUS is also introducing the TUF Gaming A15 as an Amazon Prime Day special.

#ASUS #Launches #Vivobook #Special #Prime #Day #Flipkart #GOAT #Sale #OffersAsus

The humble cockroach: depending on where you live, they’re variously the bane of apartment dwellers, a tasty snacc, or a source of political inspiration. The cliché is that they’d be the only creatures to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and whether or not that’s true, you probably wouldn’t put them first in line for further enhancements to their already legendary ability to survive.

However, it seems that no one’s told that to the folks at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, because a group of researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently published a paper describing the process of fitting a cockroach with a diving suit. As the paper’s abstract explains, “The suit integrates a miniaturized oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water.”

Or, in other words, the suit successfully allowed the insect to breathe underwater, turning it into a sort of nightmarish amphibious cyborg. If this sounds like a terrible idea at face value, console yourself with the knowledge that these cyber-roaches are designed to be used for benevolent purposes. As per the paper, said purposes include pipe inspections, “object transportation,” and, apparently, search-and-rescue missions. (Smash cut to 2031 and Elon Musk ranting about a “pedo roach”.)

Research into the creation of cyborg insects has been a thing for some time, both in academia and in the world of tech. On the latter point, readers may remember the RoboRoach, a $200 DIY kit for creating your own cyborg cockroach that was funded via Kickstarter in 2013. The kit is still available, and these days it seems to be marketed as a fun activity for kids—on the manufacturer’s website, it’s labelled as being for “Grade 9+” and “[Requiring] supervision.” If the idea of a bunch of 15-year-olds performing surgery on cockroaches makes you kinda queasy—supervision or not—well, you’re not alone.

Let’s get back to the Nanyang Technological University, where the experiments are presumably not being conducted by middle-schoolers. If you’ve ever wondered how a cockroach breathes, the paper explains that “like most terrestrial insects, [they] breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air.” The “diving suit” is basically a flexible waterproof shell into which a miniature oxygen generator pumps oxygen, effectively creating a tiny breathing bubble around the insect’s air-intake thingamajigs.

This allowed the insect to breathe underwater for up to three hours, although it seems there were some initial, um, design issues to sort out: “Dorsal mounting of the oxygen generator on the cockroach created significant water-resistance during underwater locomotion… causing postural instability and rollover.” Once this issue was resolved, it seems the roaches got on just fine underwater, exhibiting “stable and smooth underwater walking without rollover.” The researchers conclude that the idea is a winner, and that it could be “potentially extended to other terrestrial cyborg insect platforms, such as [other] cockroaches, locusts and beetles.” Amphibious locusts! What could possibly go wrong?

#Scientists #Built #Amphibious #Cyborg #Cockroaches #Regret #Inform #Workcockroaches,cyborgs">Scientists Built Amphibious Cyborg Cockroaches and We Regret to Inform You They Work
                The humble cockroach: depending on where you live, they’re variously the bane of apartment dwellers, a tasty snacc, or a source of political inspiration. The cliché is that they’d be the only creatures to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and whether or not that’s true, you probably wouldn’t put them first in line for further enhancements to their already legendary ability to survive. However, it seems that no one’s told that to the folks at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, because a group of researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently published a paper describing the process of fitting a cockroach with a diving suit. As the paper’s abstract explains, “The suit integrates a miniaturized oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water.” Or, in other words, the suit successfully allowed the insect to breathe underwater, turning it into a sort of nightmarish amphibious cyborg. If this sounds like a terrible idea at face value, console yourself with the knowledge that these cyber-roaches are designed to be used for benevolent purposes. As per the paper, said purposes include pipe inspections, “object transportation,” and, apparently, search-and-rescue missions. (Smash cut to 2031 and Elon Musk ranting about a “pedo roach”.)

 Research into the creation of cyborg insects has been a thing for some time, both in academia and in the world of tech. On the latter point, readers may remember the RoboRoach, a 0 DIY kit for creating your own cyborg cockroach that was funded via Kickstarter in 2013. The kit is still available, and these days it seems to be marketed as a fun activity for kids—on the manufacturer’s website, it’s labelled as being for “Grade 9+” and “[Requiring] supervision.” If the idea of a bunch of 15-year-olds performing surgery on cockroaches makes you kinda queasy—supervision or not—well, you’re not alone.

 Let’s get back to the Nanyang Technological University, where the experiments are presumably not being conducted by middle-schoolers. If you’ve ever wondered how a cockroach breathes, the paper explains that “like most terrestrial insects, [they] breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air.” The “diving suit” is basically a flexible waterproof shell into which a miniature oxygen generator pumps oxygen, effectively creating a tiny breathing bubble around the insect’s air-intake thingamajigs. This allowed the insect to breathe underwater for up to three hours, although it seems there were some initial, um, design issues to sort out: “Dorsal mounting of the oxygen generator on the cockroach created significant water-resistance during underwater locomotion… causing postural instability and rollover.” Once this issue was resolved, it seems the roaches got on just fine underwater, exhibiting “stable and smooth underwater walking without rollover.” The researchers conclude that the idea is a winner, and that it could be “potentially extended to other terrestrial cyborg insect platforms, such as [other] cockroaches, locusts and beetles.” Amphibious locusts! What could possibly go wrong?      #Scientists #Built #Amphibious #Cyborg #Cockroaches #Regret #Inform #Workcockroaches,cyborgs

bane of apartment dwellers, a tasty snacc, or a source of political inspiration. The cliché is that they’d be the only creatures to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and whether or not that’s true, you probably wouldn’t put them first in line for further enhancements to their already legendary ability to survive.

However, it seems that no one’s told that to the folks at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, because a group of researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently published a paper describing the process of fitting a cockroach with a diving suit. As the paper’s abstract explains, “The suit integrates a miniaturized oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water.”

Or, in other words, the suit successfully allowed the insect to breathe underwater, turning it into a sort of nightmarish amphibious cyborg. If this sounds like a terrible idea at face value, console yourself with the knowledge that these cyber-roaches are designed to be used for benevolent purposes. As per the paper, said purposes include pipe inspections, “object transportation,” and, apparently, search-and-rescue missions. (Smash cut to 2031 and Elon Musk ranting about a “pedo roach”.)

Research into the creation of cyborg insects has been a thing for some time, both in academia and in the world of tech. On the latter point, readers may remember the RoboRoach, a $200 DIY kit for creating your own cyborg cockroach that was funded via Kickstarter in 2013. The kit is still available, and these days it seems to be marketed as a fun activity for kids—on the manufacturer’s website, it’s labelled as being for “Grade 9+” and “[Requiring] supervision.” If the idea of a bunch of 15-year-olds performing surgery on cockroaches makes you kinda queasy—supervision or not—well, you’re not alone.

Let’s get back to the Nanyang Technological University, where the experiments are presumably not being conducted by middle-schoolers. If you’ve ever wondered how a cockroach breathes, the paper explains that “like most terrestrial insects, [they] breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air.” The “diving suit” is basically a flexible waterproof shell into which a miniature oxygen generator pumps oxygen, effectively creating a tiny breathing bubble around the insect’s air-intake thingamajigs.

This allowed the insect to breathe underwater for up to three hours, although it seems there were some initial, um, design issues to sort out: “Dorsal mounting of the oxygen generator on the cockroach created significant water-resistance during underwater locomotion… causing postural instability and rollover.” Once this issue was resolved, it seems the roaches got on just fine underwater, exhibiting “stable and smooth underwater walking without rollover.” The researchers conclude that the idea is a winner, and that it could be “potentially extended to other terrestrial cyborg insect platforms, such as [other] cockroaches, locusts and beetles.” Amphibious locusts! What could possibly go wrong?

#Scientists #Built #Amphibious #Cyborg #Cockroaches #Regret #Inform #Workcockroaches,cyborgs">Scientists Built Amphibious Cyborg Cockroaches and We Regret to Inform You They WorkScientists Built Amphibious Cyborg Cockroaches and We Regret to Inform You They Work
                The humble cockroach: depending on where you live, they’re variously the bane of apartment dwellers, a tasty snacc, or a source of political inspiration. The cliché is that they’d be the only creatures to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and whether or not that’s true, you probably wouldn’t put them first in line for further enhancements to their already legendary ability to survive. However, it seems that no one’s told that to the folks at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, because a group of researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently published a paper describing the process of fitting a cockroach with a diving suit. As the paper’s abstract explains, “The suit integrates a miniaturized oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water.” Or, in other words, the suit successfully allowed the insect to breathe underwater, turning it into a sort of nightmarish amphibious cyborg. If this sounds like a terrible idea at face value, console yourself with the knowledge that these cyber-roaches are designed to be used for benevolent purposes. As per the paper, said purposes include pipe inspections, “object transportation,” and, apparently, search-and-rescue missions. (Smash cut to 2031 and Elon Musk ranting about a “pedo roach”.)

 Research into the creation of cyborg insects has been a thing for some time, both in academia and in the world of tech. On the latter point, readers may remember the RoboRoach, a $200 DIY kit for creating your own cyborg cockroach that was funded via Kickstarter in 2013. The kit is still available, and these days it seems to be marketed as a fun activity for kids—on the manufacturer’s website, it’s labelled as being for “Grade 9+” and “[Requiring] supervision.” If the idea of a bunch of 15-year-olds performing surgery on cockroaches makes you kinda queasy—supervision or not—well, you’re not alone.

 Let’s get back to the Nanyang Technological University, where the experiments are presumably not being conducted by middle-schoolers. If you’ve ever wondered how a cockroach breathes, the paper explains that “like most terrestrial insects, [they] breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air.” The “diving suit” is basically a flexible waterproof shell into which a miniature oxygen generator pumps oxygen, effectively creating a tiny breathing bubble around the insect’s air-intake thingamajigs. This allowed the insect to breathe underwater for up to three hours, although it seems there were some initial, um, design issues to sort out: “Dorsal mounting of the oxygen generator on the cockroach created significant water-resistance during underwater locomotion… causing postural instability and rollover.” Once this issue was resolved, it seems the roaches got on just fine underwater, exhibiting “stable and smooth underwater walking without rollover.” The researchers conclude that the idea is a winner, and that it could be “potentially extended to other terrestrial cyborg insect platforms, such as [other] cockroaches, locusts and beetles.” Amphibious locusts! What could possibly go wrong?      #Scientists #Built #Amphibious #Cyborg #Cockroaches #Regret #Inform #Workcockroaches,cyborgs

The humble cockroach: depending on where you live, they’re variously the bane of apartment dwellers, a tasty snacc, or a source of political inspiration. The cliché is that they’d be the only creatures to survive a nuclear apocalypse, and whether or not that’s true, you probably wouldn’t put them first in line for further enhancements to their already legendary ability to survive.

However, it seems that no one’s told that to the folks at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, because a group of researchers from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering recently published a paper describing the process of fitting a cockroach with a diving suit. As the paper’s abstract explains, “The suit integrates a miniaturized oxygen generation module with a flexible waterproof shell, enabling continuous oxygen supply and isolation from surrounding water.”

Or, in other words, the suit successfully allowed the insect to breathe underwater, turning it into a sort of nightmarish amphibious cyborg. If this sounds like a terrible idea at face value, console yourself with the knowledge that these cyber-roaches are designed to be used for benevolent purposes. As per the paper, said purposes include pipe inspections, “object transportation,” and, apparently, search-and-rescue missions. (Smash cut to 2031 and Elon Musk ranting about a “pedo roach”.)

Research into the creation of cyborg insects has been a thing for some time, both in academia and in the world of tech. On the latter point, readers may remember the RoboRoach, a $200 DIY kit for creating your own cyborg cockroach that was funded via Kickstarter in 2013. The kit is still available, and these days it seems to be marketed as a fun activity for kids—on the manufacturer’s website, it’s labelled as being for “Grade 9+” and “[Requiring] supervision.” If the idea of a bunch of 15-year-olds performing surgery on cockroaches makes you kinda queasy—supervision or not—well, you’re not alone.

Let’s get back to the Nanyang Technological University, where the experiments are presumably not being conducted by middle-schoolers. If you’ve ever wondered how a cockroach breathes, the paper explains that “like most terrestrial insects, [they] breathe through thoracic spiracles that take in oxygen directly from the air.” The “diving suit” is basically a flexible waterproof shell into which a miniature oxygen generator pumps oxygen, effectively creating a tiny breathing bubble around the insect’s air-intake thingamajigs.

This allowed the insect to breathe underwater for up to three hours, although it seems there were some initial, um, design issues to sort out: “Dorsal mounting of the oxygen generator on the cockroach created significant water-resistance during underwater locomotion… causing postural instability and rollover.” Once this issue was resolved, it seems the roaches got on just fine underwater, exhibiting “stable and smooth underwater walking without rollover.” The researchers conclude that the idea is a winner, and that it could be “potentially extended to other terrestrial cyborg insect platforms, such as [other] cockroaches, locusts and beetles.” Amphibious locusts! What could possibly go wrong?

#Scientists #Built #Amphibious #Cyborg #Cockroaches #Regret #Inform #Workcockroaches,cyborgs

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