Chinese scientists have created a Frankenstein-like robot that is powered by a tiny human brain in a first-of-its-kind feat.
The new system included a lab-grown brain organoid, a mass of cells, and a computer chip that interacts with the brain’s nervous system.
The chip was designed with sensors and an AI-powered algorithm which prompts the robot to move, grab objects and avoid obstacles.
The team reported that the brain exhibits signs of intelligence, similar to a human brain, and could lead to methods for repairing damage to a human’s cerebral cortex and create other techniques to heal neurological disorders.
A team of Chinese scientists used stem cells to build the brain and paired it with a computer chip that passes instructions to the robot’s body that helps move its limbs, avoid obstacles and track targets
Scientists from at Tianjin University created the machine using a branch of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that combine the electrical signals released from a brain with external computing.
This interface is the same used to create Elon Musk’s Neuralink chip that has been implanted in a human patient’s brain, allowing him to control a computer with his mind.
Neuralink’s device is powered by a custom chip within the implant that processes signals and transmits them through a standard Bluetooth connection.
However, the Chinese researchers have not shared how they transmit signals to their organoid.
To create their ‘living machine,’ the team used pluripotent stem cells – a type of cell that exists in early embryonic development – to form the organoids that divided into different kinds of cells found in the brain, including tissue, said Ming Dong, the study’s lead author.
Organoids are tiny, self-organized three-dimensional tissue cultures made from stem cells.
Such cultures can be crafted to replicate much of the complexity of an organ, or to express selected aspects of it like producing only certain types of cells.
Scientists take the stems cells and cultivate them for about one month until they form features like neurons.
However, the Chinese scientists have not revealed how they trained the organoid to know when the robot should perform specific tasks.
The team said the technology still faced ‘bottlenecks such as low developmental maturity and insufficient nutrient supply,’ which typically include antioxidants, fibers and minerals.
When the organoids were grafted into the brain, they established a functional connection when treated with a low-intensity ultrasound, which helped them form neurons that send messages from the brain creating voluntary and involuntary movements.
Low-intensity ultrasound stimulation uses a transducer to directly transfer acoustic energy to the organoid to regenerate biological tissues.
Researchers explained that the robot does not have eyes and only responds through the electrical and sensory signals sent by the neurons.
The team clarified that the pink blob atop the robot’s shoulders in the images is just a cosmetic representation of what the brain will look like, not the actual tissue which is still being used in prototypes.
‘Brain organoid transplants are considered a promising strategy for restoring brain function by replacing lost neurons and reconstructing neural circuits,’ the study said, according to the South China Morning Post.
However, the research is still in the early stages of development and it remains unclear if the organoids could ever be used to repair or reconstruct damaged brain tissues.
Experts made special perforations in a robot face, which helped a layer of skin take hold
This comes days after scientists in Japan grafted human skin tissue and skin-ligament structures on a robot’s face to display human-like emotions.
Scientists at the University of Tokyo released a video showing a bizarre smiling robotic face created out of lab-grown human skin.
According to the team, robots with real skin not only have an ‘increasingly lifelike appearance’ but could heal themselves if damaged.
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