news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

researchers have developed a fungal 'biohybrid robot'.

image source: cornell university

science and technology daily, beijing, september 1 (reporter zhang jiaxin) researchers at cornell university in the united states have successfully developed a "biohybrid robot" composed of fungi and computers. this robot can convert the electrical signals of fungi into digital instructions, opening up a new way to build more sustainable robots. the relevant paper was published in the latest issue of science robotics.

"biohybrid robotics" is an emerging research field that involves combining plant, animal and fungal cells with synthetic materials to create robots. however, the high cost of using animal cells and the ethical issues it brings, as well as the slow response of plant cells to external stimuli, have always been challenges facing this field. the latest research shows that fungi may be the key to solving these problems.

this time, the researchers first cultivated mycelium from pleurotus eryngii and guided it to grow on a 3d printed scaffold covered with electrodes. the interconnected mycelium will generate electrical pulses in response to environmental changes, similar to the signals generated when neurons communicate in the brain. because the mycelium network is connected to the electrodes, its electrical pulses can communicate with the computer interface. the computer then converts these electrical pulses into digital instructions and transmits them to the robot's valves, motors and other parts, instructing them to perform operations such as moving forward.

the fungus-computer interface enables efficient communication between the mycelium and the robot. when the researchers shine light on the mycelium, they generate electrical pulses to drive the robot to move. the researchers found that because fungi do not like light, when more ultraviolet light is shone on the interface, the electrical signals generated by the fungus respond more strongly, causing the robot to move faster.

fungi are extremely sensitive to their environment, and the new fungal "biohybrid robots" are better at detecting chemical pollutants, poisons or pathogens in farmland than traditional synthetic robots. fungi can survive in extremely salty water or freezing cold, which gives these robots an advantage over animal or plant "biohybrid robots" in extreme environments. fungal "biohybrid robots" can also help detect radiation in hazardous environments. in addition, these robots require less cleanup after completing their tasks and leave less hazardous materials behind.