Biological Brain

Kevin Warwick has invented a robot that does not perform very well, and can't execute a million calculations per second. What he has invented is a machine controlled by biological neurons. This extraordinary robot is completely controlled by rat neurons spread onto an array of electrodes that are attached to different outputs and inputs. It seems there is an innate response of neurons to link up and start communicating with each other.

The team at the University of Reading spread the rat neurons onto an array of electrodes and bathed them in a liquid containing essential nutrients and minerals. After about 20 minutes, the neurons had sufficiently connected with one and another and were ready to be placed in the robot. They then connected the electrodes to a set of two wheels and a sonar sensor.

Just like our eyes and ears, when the sonar sensor detects a wall approaching the electrode increases the number of electrical pulses per second to the "brain." These pulses then cause the neurons to depolarize and cause a response in the "brain." Once the robot gets the hang of the inputs and outputs (after about 3 weeks) it can successfully navigate around a closed box without bumping into walls. Pretty impressive for only a bunch of neurons. The more that the robot practices, the more that it learns how to use its inputs and outputs. The robot does not need to be limited to just one input. The sky is the limit, with possibilities such as X-ray detectors, geiger counter, even infrared.

Even though a fun toy, Warwick hopes that by understanding how the brain makes connections and handles input output and memory, he can get better insight into how our brains work and also how our brains work with certain neurological disorders.

Unfortunately, the robot's brain is alive, and after a couple of months the robot begins to act sluggish and unresponsive as it starts to end its mortal life. A sad end but amazing invention.


Cody Sanderson

http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/the_living_robot/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-0eZytv6Qk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wACltn9QpCc