Researchers from the University of Illinois have succeeded in creating a unique device that could serve as the basis for building robots from living tissue.
They cultured more than 80,000 mouse stem cells between optical fibers on an electrode grid to create a “living computer.” Although this device is the size of a palm, it can already recognize patterns of light and electricity.
The scientists used the reservoir calculation principle, which is a combination of living cells and computer chips. This helped create a system that could work even if individual parts failed. This means such devices could be used to create more efficient robots that can process data and sense their environment in a human-like manner.
Researchers have had to overcome several challenges to succeed in this field. Initially, the computer faced the problem of random electrical bursts from neurons that hindered successful data analysis. But the team developed a mixture of chemicals that calmed the neurons and allowed the computer to reach the high 0.98 metric commonly used to evaluate neural networks.
It is stated that this discovery can be used to create more efficient robots for use in various industries and scientific research. However, more research and development is required to achieve this goal.
Source: Port Altele
