Microkiborgs
New soft robots are driven by muscles and nerves
Scientists from the University of Illinois (USA) have developed soft robotic devices controlled by neuromuscular tissue that are triggered by light stimulation. These "two-tailed" biobots can swim independently, according to the university's website. The development is described in an article published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Aydin et al., Neuromuscular actuation of biohybrid motile bots).
Since 2014, scientists from the University of Illinois have been working on creating the first biobots that could walk and swim themselves. Robots of that generation had a single tail and built-in heart muscle tissue obtained from rats. The heart muscles forced the biorobots to move, but did not allow them to feel the environment or make any decisions.
For the new biobots, the researchers used an optogenetic culture of neural cells derived from mouse stem cells adjacent to muscle tissue: when exposed to light, neurons activate muscles. Scientists have also determined that two tails instead of one will significantly increase the range of motion of the robot.
The development allows us to take one step towards future multicellular engineering living systems that will be able to respond to environmental signals. They can be used in bioengineering and medicine technologies.
Nevertheless, scientists note that, as in the case of living organisms, there are no two absolutely identical biohybrid machines. "Just as twins are not truly identical, two machines designed to perform the same function will not be the same," said Taher Saif, professor of mechanical sciences and engineering, head of the study. "One can move faster or heal from damage differently than the others."
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