2024-10-02
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image source: unsplash
he ran so fast.
with the development of technology, many robots have been able to make very smooth movements and can help humans complete household chores and some special tasks. however, no matter how well designed a robot is, it cannot compete with life. because robots are assembled from a series of sensors, actuators, and neural networks that issue instructions,their sensors often can only detect a single signal, such as pressure, light, heat, etc.
in comparison,not only can organisms respond to various signals simultaneously, but their receptor densities are also extremely high. for example, even just a finger has more than 3,000 mechanoreceptors. these receptors are connected to thousands of nerves and neuronal pathways, and these neuronal pathways are connected to each other, allowing the signals felt by the finger to be transmitted. rapidly transmitted to the brain. if you want to assemble such complex components into a finished robot from the bottom up, the required process has far exceeded the current level of human technology.
is it possible to fuse life forms and robots into one? some scientists have proposedbiohybrid robotthe idea of a biohybrid robot: to make cells form useful forms on demand, or to use specific tissues naturally formed by cells to control robots.
in an article recently published in science robotics (Science Robotics), researchers from cornell university in the united states have taken another important step in the field of biohybrid robots: theyuse king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) mycelium has successfully controlled the movement of many different forms of robots。
one of the robots controlled using pleurotus eryngii mycelium (image source: original paper)
"pleurotus eryngii robot"
when we think of biohybrid robots, king oyster mushroom may not come to mind. because the first impression these fungi leave on people, apart from being delicious, may only be the word "dumb". it seems far away from robots that can perform various tasks. however, in the field of biohybrid robotics, fungi actually have many unparalleled advantages over animal cells.
first,fungi don’t need to grow in a sterile environment and are “easy to grow”, only need to provide basic nutrients to reproduce in large numbers. in comparison, "delicate" animal cells not only require researchers to replace fresh culture media every day, but also require researchers to add antibiotics to the culture medium to grow normally. in addition, fungi are also widely distributed in nature.survive in high salt, high acid, polar and even radiation environments, which lays the foundation for their wide range of application scenarios.
finally, fungi can also be veryrespond sensitively to various environmental factors. for example, light regulates the circadian rhythm of fungi. deep in the soil, mycelium forms a huge network that responds to environmental changes. just like our neurons generate action potentials after receiving signals, the cells of mycelium can alsosimilar electrical signals are generated by transport of ions across membranes, there will even be similar depolarization and repolarization processes.
as a result, professor robert f. shepherd of cornell university caught the eye of professor robert f. shepherd of cornell university, king oyster mushroom, a cute fungus that grows quickly and is nontoxic. if we could record the electrical signals of pleurotus eryngii in response to environmental factors, and then use these signals as instructions for the robot to make corresponding actions, wouldn't it be equivalent to using pleurotus eryngii to control the robot? if you round up,this is simply pleurotus eryngii driving a gundam robot.！
king oyster mushroom (image source: diego delso, via wikimedia commons)
however, realizing a fungus-controlled robot is not simple. this is a systematic engineering that combines multiple fields such as mechanical engineering, electronics, mycology, neurobiology and signal processing. the first problem that the research team needs to solve is how to shield the vibration and electromagnetic interference during the operation of the robot, so as to stably and long-term record the bioelectrical signals generated by the mycelium. the method they used was to cultivate the mycelium of pleurotus eryngii,let the mycelium grow and wrap around the electrodes, forming a stable connection with the electrodes, and then using this mycelium module that can record electrical signals in real time as part of the robot bracket.
the research team also needs to let the recorded bioelectrical signals guide the robot's movements. therefore, they derive from the animal nervous systemcentral pattern generator(cpg), a special control architecture was designed. cpg is a neuronal circuit that can endogenously produce rhythmic output and form rhythmic movement patterns without the need for rhythmic sensory input or central feedback input (such as many swimming behaviors of lampreys). the researchers designed an algorithm to convert the electrical signals of the mycelium into digital control signals similar to cpg, which are sent to the robot's actuators-valves or motors-to control the robot's movement.
mycelium wraps the electrode (image source: original paper)
based on this work, the researchers designed two biohybrid robots that can be "manipulated" by pleurotus eryngii mycelium. a lookalikestarfishthe same, walking on five legs; the other is a carcar, moves forward through four wheels. the researchers used the mycelium module as the "head" of the robot. the signals from the "pleurotus eryngii brain" can respectively control the valves and motors in the robot body, thereby driving the "starfish" and the car forward.
although the electrical signals generated by the "pleurotus eryngii brain" in a natural state can allow the robot to move forward, the research team still hopes that these biohybrid robots can respond to the external environment and move under specific conditions. so, they chooseusing light as a signal to further activate pleurotus eryngii mycelium. "mushrooms don't like light, they grow in dark places, so light gives them a strong signal," shepherd said.
researchers found that among the four types of light, ultraviolet, blue, red and white light,pleurotus eryngii mycelium is most sensitive to uv rays. so they irradiated the mycelium with ultraviolet light, driving the robot forward. according to the video published in the paper, the mycelium module only needs to be briefly irradiated with ultraviolet light, and the strong electrical signal it generates will issue instructions to make the "starfish" and the robot run forward faster.
after ultraviolet irradiation, the "starfish" robot controlled by pleurotus eryngii mycelium quickly ran forward (video source: original paper)
more applications
in this study, sheppard's team only tested the ability of king oyster mushroom mycelium to sense and respond to light. but researchers say fungi are extremely sensitive to their environment, sosuch robots may also be used in the future to sense chemicals, pathogens and even radiation in the environment. for example, they might be used to sense the chemical composition of farm soil, driving robots to only apply fertilizer at the right time to reduce the impact of fertilizer on the environment.
however, sheppard also said,it is more difficult to make "fungus robots" respond to chemicals than to respond to light. because they need to establish a correlation between the concentration of a specific compound and the electrical activity of the fungus, this may require them to first build a large database with a large number of relevant records and annotations, and then train artificial intelligence to achieve this.
in addition to the advantage of sensitivity, compared to electronic devices containing heavy metals,biohybrid robots are also more environmentally friendly. moreover, for scientists working in remote areas, they can even build robots from local materials, or bring a small amount of mycelium to the local area and cultivate it in large quantities. this will bring them great convenience.
but the "pleurotus eryngii robot" also has some shortcomings. the researchers found that the signals sent by the mycelium changed over time. they detectedelectrical signals become weaker and weaker, and resolution limitations make it difficult for them to capture these weak signals at high sampling rates. in addition, the mycelium of pleurotus eryngii is not immortal;there is also a life limit. if they want to extend the service life of such robots, they may need to develop a new system for signal amplification and re-inject spores and nutrients into the mycelium module to allow it to grow again.
after ultraviolet irradiation, the car robot controlled by pleurotus eryngii mycelium quickly ran forward (video source: original paper)
in fact, scientists had already made many attempts at biohybrid robots before this work. for example, scientists have used muscle tissue in biohybrid robots, triggering the contraction of muscle tissue through electrical or chemical signals, allowing the robot to perform actions such as swimming and walking. some biohybrid robots can even regulate their internal temperature through perspiration.
in the eyes of ordinary people, these scientists just changed the method of controlling robots, but to them this is absolutely not the case.they connect environmental signals, robots and living systems, transforming many invisible and intangible signals into physical actions that actually occur on the robot.
perhaps in the near future, you will also see a robot "driven" by pleurotus eryngii slowly walking towards you.
source: global science
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