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Researchers Engineer Light-Activated Skeletal Muscle

Posted by samzenpus on from the flick-of-a-switch dept.

submeta writes "Researchers at MIT and the University of Pennsylvania have genetically engineered skeletal muscle cells to respond to light. The hope is that this 'bio-integrated' approach may lead to 'highly articulated, flexible robots.' The technique, known as optogenetics, has previously been used to stimulate neurons in worms to fire."

6 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Oscar Pistorius at the Rio Paralympics... by CodeheadUK · · Score: 2

    His bulbs are too bright, it's not fair.

  2. Sounds like a Japanese cartoon... by Lord_of_the_nerf · · Score: 2

    Super Photosensitive Epileptic Robots GO!

  3. Weaknesses by symes · · Score: 2

    My issue with bio-inspired designs like this is that are are surely susceptible to the same vulnerabilities as humans. One of the benefits of robots is that they can be sent to places humans would not otherwise go, such as deep space, extremes in temperature, and so on. What is the point? Why do we need a copy of a human, other than the obvious cool insights such research provides of course.

    1. Re:Weaknesses by VortexCortex · · Score: 2

      We haven't nanomachines yet that can do for robots what organic tissue can do for humans: Heal. A robot with a damaged servo needs a replacement. We either build the robot with lots of redundancy (have a colony of robots) and get them to fix themselves from scraps, manufacture themselves, or make them more independent -- just allow their injury to heal. Nature shows this is more advantageous when spare parts can not easily be acquired.

      How would you indicate to the robot that it shouldn't use the damaged tissue in question? Why, pain receptors of course... In a robotic system we could disable such sensory impulses after patching the firmware with instructions not to use the injured tissue, or after installing a mechanical splint (locking joints); Cyborgs don't have to suffer as humans do. Also, a human with some hybrid organic & robotic parts may be more natural than purely robotic prosthetics (see also: 6 Million Dollar Man).

      What one can accomplish through amazing technical feats, nature has already done. Life has many forms each acclimated to their environments, such is true in robotics as well. To answer your question: It's the Unix Way. Why reinvent the wheel if we don't have to? Sometimes iteration is just as innovative as invention.

      Don't fear the Cyborgs. Natural selection teaches us there are higher rungs on the evolutionary ladder than ours, we have but to reach.

  4. Moooooo. by Joshua+Fan · · Score: 2

    It's amazing how hard scientists work to recreate apocalypse scenarios from fiction. In this case, Metal Gear Solid 4.

  5. Strobe Lights by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 2

    Forget about strobe lights disrupting a brain; these muscles have epilepsy built right into the tissue.