roach robots to the rescue\nwhen buildings collapse, it is extremely difficult to safely locate and rescue…

roach robots to the rescue\nwhen buildings collapse, it is extremely difficult to safely locate and rescue people trapped inside. victims may be wedged into small spaces, and unstable rubble could collapse on rescue workers. an alternative to human rescue workers may be robotic cockroaches. real cockroaches are protected by strong yet flexible exoskeletons. they can also flatten their bodies through tiny cracks. a robotics researcher from harvard university and a biomechanics expert from the university of california, berkeley, were inspired to create mini robots that have the same features. the roach robots can squeeze through small spaces and skitter over unstable environments. fitted with cameras and microphones, they could be used in disasters to locate victims.\nwhat is the main, or central, idea of the passage?\ninspired by the strength and quickness of cockroaches, researchers created robots with the same characteristics.\nit is dangerous to search inside collapsed buildings, but cockroach - like robots can go places where human searchers cant or shouldnt.\ncockroach - like robots can fit through small cracks and move through unstable rubble.

roach robots to the rescue\nwhen buildings collapse, it is extremely difficult to safely locate and rescue people trapped inside. victims may be wedged into small spaces, and unstable rubble could collapse on rescue workers. an alternative to human rescue workers may be robotic cockroaches. real cockroaches are protected by strong yet flexible exoskeletons. they can also flatten their bodies through tiny cracks. a robotics researcher from harvard university and a biomechanics expert from the university of california, berkeley, were inspired to create mini robots that have the same features. the roach robots can squeeze through small spaces and skitter over unstable environments. fitted with cameras and microphones, they could be used in disasters to locate victims.\nwhat is the main, or central, idea of the passage?\ninspired by the strength and quickness of cockroaches, researchers created robots with the same characteristics.\nit is dangerous to search inside collapsed buildings, but cockroach - like robots can go places where human searchers cant or shouldnt.\ncockroach - like robots can fit through small cracks and move through unstable rubble.

Answer

Brief Explanations:

The passage first mentions the danger of human rescue workers in collapsed buildings. Then it introduces that inspired by cockroaches' features (strong yet flexible exoskeletons, ability to flatten through tiny cracks), researchers created roach - robots. These robots can access places humans can't (small spaces, unstable environments) and be used for victim - locating with cameras and microphones. The second option encompasses the problem (danger for humans) and the solution (roach - like robots' advantage in going to certain places), which is the main idea. The first option only focuses on the inspiration and creation without relating to the rescue context. The third option only describes a feature of the robots without the overall context of why they are created (to replace humans in dangerous rescue situations).

Answer:

It is dangerous to search inside collapsed buildings, but cockroach - like robots can go places where human searchers can't or shouldn't.