Spectacular progress in robotics. A team of Chinese researchers has managed to teach small clusters of human brain cells — known as organoids — to control robots. Although these “mini-brains” are much simpler than a human brain, they are learning to interact with machines in a whole new way.
The concept of “wetware”, which is the biological equivalent of software and hardware, is becoming more real thanks to advances in bioengineering. Brain organoids — three-dimensional groups of neurons grown from human stem cells — are at the heart of this revolution, reports futura-sciences.com.
The project, called MetaBOC, is carried out by researchers from Tianjin University and Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), acts as a bridge between biocomputers — devices that contain “brain on a chip” — and traditional electronic systems.
Organoids receive data from sensors in the form of electrical signals, interpret them and gradually learn to perform tasks. The system also integrates artificial intelligence, facilitating communication and joint learning between biology and technology.
Researchers use virtual simulations to train these mini-brains before transferring them to real robots, thereby reducing risks. To stimulate neural activity, the three-dimensional organoids are also subjected to low-intensity ultrasound pulses.
The results are promising: MetaBOC-guided robots have already demonstrated the ability to avoid obstacles and grasp objects—so biological computing could play a major role in the future of robotics.
If these experiments continue to be successful, the combination of biology and technology could redefine the concept of “thinking”, blurring the line between organic and artificial intelligence.
