In what could be seen as a major breakthrough, rat brain cells are being used to control a robot that could provide great insights into degenerative diseases such as Alzhiemer’s. The robot uses about 300,000 rat neurons form the blob, which is disembodied from the rat and is kept in a temperature-controlled cabinet. Bluetooth helps signals transport from the brain cells to the actual robot. Though the University of Reading team is not the first to create robots which use living cells, the research and the prototype they have developed opens doors to ‘animats’ where cultured brain material is plugged into simulations and robots.
The neurons were surgically removed and disassociating enzymes helped them to disconnect the neurons from each other. Electrodes and bluetooth are used to connect the brain material wirelessly to the robot. The brain material itself has to be stored separately in a cabinet, which is maintained at body temperature. In about 80% of the cases, the robot managed to avoid obstacles and the next step is to teach the robots to recognize the surroundings. Depending on how the learned material is stored or lost over a period of time, researchers can study the mechanism behind memory process. This could help neuroscientists to ascertain the causes of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s but the prospects are not limited to them. Though ethical issues may crop up, researchers are hopeful the technology is largely useful for the mankind.
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Rat brain to control robot?? Uh-oh, they can soon eliminate the human species that is deemed in between the rat and the robot on the scale.