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Robot Piloted by a Slime Mold
TeknoHog writes "Robotics researchers from the UK and Japan have linked up a slime mold to remotely control a six-legged robot. The mold, which is naturally light-sensitive, is able to hide the robot in dark corners, and the scientists expect to further this technology for use in smaller, autonomous units. There is also a preprint of the research paper available from the University of Southampton."
oh, never mind
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
My, that was a yummy slime mold!.
The Army reading list
I know a slime mold that has a PhD in literature.
If you're interested in the subject, check out Klaus-Peter Zauner's publication: Robot Control: From Silicon Circuitry to Cells
a photocapacitor or some other light sensitive electronics wouldn't suffice?
The mold in my shower has been doing this kinda stuff for years!
http://religiousfreaks.com/Similar study last year. Experimental "brain" (25,000 living neurons, taken from a rat's brain and cultured inside a glass dish) interacts with an F-22 fighter jet flight simulator through a specially designed multi-electrode array and a desktop computer
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/02/brain.dish/
The news is that people are able to now work with them. Light sensors based on silicon and other materials simple take advantage of the light sensitive properties of the material. Using a biological material is no different, other than the need to 'feed' the sensor. As this story and experiment play out, there is no ready made practical application waiting for its development. The real advance here is working with biological sensors. Such work will hopefully lead to sensors that are sensitive enough to detect humans in the wreckage of a bombed building, or cancers (as some dogs can with smell) or other such sensitivities that simply don't seem possible with non-organic materials. This probably isn't going to lead to a bio-brain for robotics, but will make them much more sensitive in the sensor domain. Imagine if a robot could see or smell the way that some insects do? This would lead to robots that are much more capable, and much more useful for all sorts of dangerous work. Imagine a robot that works in water that can find even the tiniest of leaks on an oil tanker? Perhaps a robot that can sniff out drugs in cargo planes etc. The reason for sensors that are orders of magnitude better than what is available today goes without saying, more or less. This type of work will help make it more achievable, hopefully.
Already, they are training bees (in minutes) to sense out things that takes months of training for dogs. This type of bio-sensor systems will hopefully make such work even easier to achieve. I can see that one day, a search and rescue helicopter can drop a truck load of independent water robots that seek out and locate humans in the middle of the ocean, saving lives by finding them faster than current methods, and bio-sensors may be the ticket to such advances.
That's my take...
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Thats no way to talk about the geeky research assistant holding the joystick... tho this description could be apt, I'm sure it applies to a fair few here on slashdot including myself after a late coding session (slimey, moldy, and avoiding light)
Music, Games, Media Art and Programming
...attempts to merge a gelatinous cube with a Honda Civic have been less than successful. Kobold scientists blame this frustrating failure on a lower fuel efficiency due to the inefficient wind flow design. "We'd like to take these experiments to the next level," the designers said, "but we just don't have the experience at this time."
Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
Let me know when they get a robot piloted by a gelatinous cube or a gibbering mouther.
The Liberal Party of Canada is seeking anyone or anything to be the new party Leader.
Currently most human beings and other vertebrates have declined the oportunity.
Perhaps dark seeking slime molds could fulfill this roll. Cephalopods could also apply.
... this particular robot now favors unreasonably large subsidies to the slime mold planet, doesn't it?
A guy walks into a bar... well, I forgot the joke, but the punchline is that he's an alcoholic.
moldy robots lurking in dark corners.
Am I the only one that finds this somewhat creepy?
when they finally made that pilot, they threw away the mold.
whoops.
"Waste not one watt!" - CZ
...mold and mildrew remover when they pry it from my cold, dead hands.
-- Fugacity: Confusing chemists since 1908
Kinda wish I hadn't cleaned up earlier, I had a sandwich old enough to give Deep Blue a run for its money.
Here in the US we've got a slime mold running our country.
Dalek "little green blobs in bonded polycarbide armour". And it's even a british research team!
It's intelligently designed!
That's completely inappropriate. Slime molds don't shoot people.
Just because you sold your soul to the devil that needn't make you a teetotaler. --The Devil and Daniel Webster
You hit the slime mold.
The slime mold hits you.
The slime mold's robot hits you.
You hit the slime mold.
The slime mold hits you.
The slime mold's robot hits you.
You miss the slime mold.
The slime mold hits you.
The slime mold's robot hits you.
You are dead.
-hit spacebar for high scores-
-=Zeus=And=Hades=-
Slime Mold: "You call that a proper welcome for your Over Lord?"
So they've invented Krang?
Or Nethack...
What do you want to eat? [b-h or ?*] h
My, that was a yummy slime mold!
As cool as this is, i feel bad for the guy. But he's had plenty of warning.
It's just a matter of time before Davros hijacks his research to create the Daleks.
Darth --
Nil Mortifi, Sine Lucre
...is can they win the fight against the koreans..?
I love humanity, it is people I hate
The future of law enforcement... Blobocop!
Sorry, that's all I have.
>> Well, I for one welcome our...
It wouldn't be such a big change, since since we already have slimy overlords.
At least real slime molds aren't susceptible to bribery and corruption, and have far higher competence in the area that they are directing.
1000 years from now even people will be controlled by slime. This is just the start! Resist the slime!
Sparks:Gadget:Beer Maker
Slime Moulds are basically single celled organisms, and while they can achieve some interesting feats, they don't have a nervous system that could in any way be called central.
Fascinating things though... never knew anything about them before just now :)
You see here a robot. t
What do you want to throw? [adfh or ?*] h
In which direction? 6
The slime mold hits the robot.
The slime mold takes control of the robot!
The robot hits!
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
Now you've got me wanting to create a "hunting slime molds by remote control" website. Like the big game ones that they've banned here and there already, but I suspect even PETA would find it hard to attack hunting a one-celled organism, even if a large and colourful one.
As if enough things in my life don't already find ways to hide in dark corners?
``Honey, where's the hammer?''
``Oddly enough, when I was vacuuming, I found it under the desk in the bedroom. I could have sworn it was scurrying.''
``Honey, where's the hammer?''
That's your problem. You only have one. My dad taught me (by example) that if you can't find a tool, it means you don't have enough instances of that tool and you need to buy another one. Once you have thirty or so hammers, you won't have any trouble finding one around the house within 5 minutes or so.
Same goes for socket sets, screw driver sets, drills, etc.
Avoid Missing Ball for High Score