Scientists create first ‘living robots’ made from cells that can be programmed like computers
SCIENTISTS are claiming to have made the first “living robots”. Their creation is being described as an entirely new life-form made out of living cells that is neither an animal species or a traditional robot. The team of researchers behind the project took cells from frog embryos and said they turned these into a substance […]
SCIENTISTS are claiming to have made the first “living robots”.
Their creation is being described as an entirely new life-form made out of living cells that is neither an animal species or a traditional robot.
The team of researchers behind the project took cells from frog embryos and said they turned these into a substance that can be programmed to work however they desire.
The team said that this is the first time humans have created “completely biological machines from the ground up”.
Cleaning up the ocean or transporting medicine around the human body are just some of the ways the scientists how their tiny “xenobots” could be used.
University of Vermont expert Joshua Bongard, who co-led the new research, said: “These are novel living machines. They’re neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It’s a new class of artefact: a living, programmable organism.”
The scientists used a supercomputer to design the concept for the new creatures.
They refer to this as a kind of virtual evolution where the computer does the natural selection process for them.
Biologists then built the final design at Tufts University in the US.
Project co-leader Michael Levin directs the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University.
He said: “We can imagine many useful applications of these living robots that other machines can’t do like searching out nasty compounds or radioactive contamination, gathering micro-plastic in the oceans, travelling in arteries to scrape out plaque.”
The researchers claim this is the first time that a completely biological machine has been designed and created entirely by scientists.
They asked their supercomputer to design a being that could move in certain directions and the machine then evaluated how the cells should be used to form the most efficient life form for the task.
Stem cells from the embryos of African frogs were then taken using incredibly tiny tools.
These cells were then assembled into the design that the supercomputer had created.
After the cells were stuck together they began to work together to create a never before seen life form.
This process was used to create xenobots in different shapes and sizes.
The researchers also demonstrated how the new organisms could explore their environment and work to push pellets around.
They can regenerate and repair themselves and are also biodegradable when they do die.
More research will now be conducted to see if more intelligent “robots” can be made in this way.
The researchers have admitted that there is a danger their developments could have unintended consequences or be used in ways we currently don’t understand.
Mr Levin said: “If humanity is going to survive into the future, we need to better understand how complex properties, somehow, emerge from simple rules.
“This study is a direct contribution to getting a handle on what people are afraid of, which is unintended consequences.”
This research has been described in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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In other news, a ‘bionic’ woman has ‘upgraded’ her body by having house keys, magnets and strobe lights implanted in her skin.
Silicon Valley geeks are allegedly attempting to turn their kids into “cyborgs” that can detect liars and even force themselves to feel happy.
And, one transhumanist revealed last year that he believes people will one day “download” versions of themselves.
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