Researchers Create Walking, Muscle-Powered Biobots

Zothecula writes If you're going to deploy robots in biological settings – for example, inside the body – it makes a lot of sense to build those robots out of actual biological body parts. Muscle, for example, is a very effective, biodegradable replacement for an electric actuator that can run in a nutrient-rich fluid without the need for any other power source. Bio-robotics experts in Illinois have demonstrated a bio-bot built from 3-D printed hydrogel and spinal muscle tissue that can "walk" in response to an electrical signal. Their next step will be trying to incorporate neurons that can get the bot walking in different directions when faced with different stimuli.

Comments

I think there's a lot of open road here.

[GoodNewsJimDotCom]

They say if you could design a biobot that identifies cells as one type or the other, you could design custom antibodies, or even something that targets cancer.

The road is a long road though. First you need some sort of standard cell that won't be owned by the body's immune response, and apparently these guys use stuff from your own body? Then you need to figure a way to put some computing in it. Then you need to program its receptors to detect what it interacts with. You need to make enough of them to be useful in the body. And if there is a bug in your code, you could really hose someone over. The code for the system might not even involve electronics but custom mini biological computing proteins.

At least this is what I understand the state of affairs is. The goal is a good goal, but it seems there's a long long road before you can get to anything useful for general medical purposes.

Re:I think there's a lot of open road here.

[Anonymous Coward]

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Re:I think there's a lot of open road here.

[GoodNewsJimDotCom]

The whole thing to remember about God is that he wants us to love and be good to each other. If everyone on the planet loved each other, we'd have no wars.

Another materials article

[Animats]

It's another materials article. They do not have a "walking robot". They have one piece of synthetic muscle fiber hooked up to some supports. If they hook up an oscillator to the power, it jerks along. There are other artificial muscle technologies. This new one is supposedly powered by the chemical solution in which it operates, not by the electric field that triggers it. That's new. But if it's chemically powered, there must be waste products from the reaction that have to be flushed out. You need a whole circulatory system for the thing.

Re:Another materials article

[l0n3s0m3phr34k]

hmmm,,,let's look around, were to find such a thing...hey, I just found almost 7 billion walking "nutrient chemical solution recycling systems" just walking around! Engage VAMPIRE mode for more power! Really though, this thing could use blood straight from "the tap"...vampire robots! great idea! Hey, I think that might be a "new idea" that hasn't been made into a movie or such...

Re:Another materials article

[Thanshin]

The hard part is always inventing the building blocks. Once you have those, there's a billions brains eager to build with whatever blocks you give them.

Actually, I may have gone too conservative there. The hard part is the prototype of the building blocks. Once the prototype works, you can release the knowledge in the human mind soup and it will reproduce and evolve on its own.

I wouldn't dare say it all rests on an idea, because I believe the ratio prototype:result to be close to 1:1 while idea:result falls way short.

Re:Another materials article

[flyingsquid]

No, this bio-robot, a hybrid cyborg construct made from genetically engineered muscle tissue and 3-D printed materials, does not truly walk as such. It does, however, whisper "kill me! kill meeee!!!!" late at night in the lab when the lights are turned out.

Re:Another materials article

[JaredOfEuropa]

Presumably it would eat our food rather than us. "Hey, who ate all the chocolate chip cookies?" "sorry-master-need-more-power"

Re:Another materials article

[phayes]

Your blanket statement "The hard part is always inventing the building blocks" is clearly false as often the hardest part is in the choice & integration of the building blocks. The F35 is a shining example where just about every building block has been available for a decade (or even many multiples of same), yet it is the integration and fine tuning that are the hardest parts. Many, many other examples come to mind: Nuclear fusion power plants, carrier aviation, large federal IT projects, etc.

Sometimes & in some domains, inventing the building blocks is the hardest part.

Re:Another materials article

[blincoln]

Seems like one could use this type of engineered muscle to power an electrical generator which would either recharge a battery or power an electronic device directly. Then you'd have an implanted electronic device which never needed to have its battery changed or recharged using external means.

If it burned enough calories, maybe it could even be sold for cosmetic reasons - eat all you want, and transfer the surplus charge from your implanted battery to an outside system via induction.

There isn't exactly a surplus of empty space inside the human body, but I imagine this type of system could also be used to pre-condition engineered muscle tissue or replacement hearts before they're implanted into their intended recipient's body.

Turncoat

[jargonburn]

Personally, I welcome our flexible new overlords!

Biobots and muscle repair

[Anonymous Coward]

Im searching for solutions to muscle repair. Tendons can be sown together and fixed but not muscle! My injury is such that the pec muscle torn in the muscle belly! Somewhere science solution must exist to fix the muscle itself???

There's a trend here

[Anonymous Coward]

Yesterday we invented trees and now we invent people.

Time to invent a snake.

Someone has to say it.

[SuricouRaven]

It's alive.. it's alive. It's alive, it's alive. IT'S ALIVE!

Re:Someone has to say it.

[disposable60]

It must also be said: They're Made Out of Meat.

http://www.terrybisson.com/pag...

The Terminator: The next Generation

[Tsolias]

Starring Arnold Schwarzeberger

Dr. Eldon Tyrell

[Digital Pizza]

... has big plans for this technology...

What is in the bag? The power source?

[turp182]

How are they powering this muscle?

Muscle Bound Robots?

[Anonymous Coward]

So scientists have created artificial jocks?

Cotton

[Anonymous Coward]

But can it be used to pick cotton?

Did you ever hear the one about the...

[Anonymous Coward]

Virus-Bots? [slashdot.org]
Yeah, me too but I think it has a better punchline since they are using actual biological parts.

Re:i can think of several applications for this

[flyneye]

I think I'd wait till some preservative or skin can keep it from getting necrotic a few minutes out of the package.
But, I suppose one mans rotting meat is another mans viagra...
Who am I to judge?

just the first step...

[fikx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...