Biohybrid components: Muscle tissue makes robot legs walk
Skeletal muscle cells grown in a Petri dish and attached to prosthetics provide targeted movements when stimulated electrically. However, there is still a long way to go to reach high-performance hybrid machines.
© Shoji Takeuchi Research Group, University of Tokyo (details)
Padling Pool Terminator: The muscle-cyborg hybrid tentatively walked forward into the water tank.
Japanese researchers have succeeded in attaching muscle tissue grown in the laboratory to artificial legs, to stimulate and control their movement. Using electrical pulses, the team led by Shuji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo was able to make the tiny limbs wander around in a water tank as they did It was published on January 26, 2024 in a publication in the specialized magazine “Mada”.. The experiments provide clues on how to combine biological and technical components to build more compact and efficient “bio-hybrid” robots.
First, the scientists allowed skeletal muscle cells to grow in a Petri dish. They then stretched the myofilaments over two flexible silicone legs several centimeters long. When they subjected this structure to targeted electric shocks, the tissue contracted and the pair of legs took small steps forward. The photos and videos of the experiments are more fantastic than awe-inspiring — there are more impressive photos of technologically advanced human beings circulating on the Internet. Such high-performance robots can already walk and master other complex movement sequences. But they are nowhere near as diverse as humans. In particular, it does not contain any biological components, which can operate more energy and space-saving than mechanical components. So combining the two can lead to decisive progress in the long run, even if the first steps still seem clumsy.
Takeuchi Research Group It is considered one of the leaders in the field of hybrid biorobotics and has long made headlines with several such systems, including frog cell odor sensors in 2010 and artificial organs in 2013. One of them also attracted attention in June 2022 A publication about a self-healing skin implant that encases a robotic finger. This gave rise to associations with the “Terminator” film series with its killer robot made of “living tissue over a metal endoskeleton”.
However, images of the new development from the laboratory in Tokyo show how far these ideas are from reality. In order for the toy-like legs to tremble, delicate muscle strands must be manually stimulated electrically with each step. Such a pulse comes from a power cable every five seconds, so that the limbs hardly travel more than five millimeters per minute. It takes the same time to complete a 90 degree curve. They are suspended in a water tank because muscles depend on continuous water. To have thicker, stronger tissues that also function in the air, an integrated circulatory system must bring nutrients to the cells. According to a statement, Takeuchi's team plans to integrate electrodes into the robot for faster, more targeted stimulation that also serves to deliver nutrients. But currently, research on cybernetics is making only slow progress.
Kengo, R. And others: Biohybrid bipedal robot powered by musculoskeletal tissue. Issue, 2023
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