The body replaces the machine with a simple brain that can give signals by responding to irritants. So the devices have already made you move.
In theory, autonomous transport is safer than conventional drivers due to the lack of a human error factor. But can you trust the mushroom while driving? Still, it was his nervous system that was recently «planted» by scientists from Cornell University as a new biohybrid robot. Now the device is under the full control of people and performs various commands. But about everything in order.
Human engineering is still very weakly able to compete with billions of years of evolution, so experts often make a choice towards existing natural «mechanisms. That is why we have already invented robots with mucus muscles, locust ears, etc. Now it is the turn of mushrooms — organisms that feel and communicate using signals in the mycelium, their root system.
To use this unusual feature, enthusiasts from Cornell University in the USA have developed a special electrical interface. It accurately records the activity of the mycelium, processes it, and converts it into a digital signal that is understandable to the robot. As a result, two prototypes were obtained: a simple wheeled device and a more complex spider-shaped mechanism with soft legs. In both cases, the mushroom section is placed on the Petri dish, and after it «pokes» with different irritants, like light. So the movement occurs.
At the moment, both robots have passed 3 small experiments. To begin with, they were forced to move, focusing only on the natural jumps of mycelium signals. The mushrooms were then “forced” to change their direction by an irritant in the form of ultraviolet light. And finally, the team demonstrated full control over the body, manually controlling devices. The only lighting so far is the only available stimulant, but in the future there will be others.
«This work — is the first of many in which the kingdom of mushrooms will be used to provide environmental sensors and device command signals. In the future, such autonomous robots will be able to do a lot. For example, determine the chemical composition of the soil in sown areas and decide when to add more fertilizers »
Rob Shepardsenior
Research Author
Meanwhile, an online video showed a creepy robot with a child’s face and a jetpack behind his back. And no, this is not a concept for the horror of the film but a full-fledged development to save people in hard-to-reach places. Scientists from Italy are engaged in it.