Engineering News Blog

Engineering News

Latest news of interest to engineers. Sourced from GlobalSpec's Engineering News

Previous in Blog: Inventors are sure cars can fly   Next in Blog: Garbage Truck with Surprise
Close
Close
Close
5 comments
Rate Comments: Nested

Robot With An Organic Brain

Posted August 18, 2008 9:52 AM

From OhGizmo!:

Maybe it's because I'm a big Simpsons fan that I keep on seeing their influence on technology whether it's there or not. In this case I see this next story as a precursor to a halloween episode where Homer has his brain transplanted into the body of a robot, with sexy results. Researchers at the University of Reading in the UK have created a robot that contains cultured rat brain cells. An array of electrodes are hooked up to the neurons and can give signals to the "brain." When the robot nears an obstacle such as a wall, the electrodes send a signal to the neurons. The neurons then control the wheels and change direction to avoid the obstacle when they receive the signal. Video of the robot in action, along with more detailed commentary on its workings after the jump.

Read the whole article and watch the video

Reply

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Anonymous Poster
#1

Re: Robot With An Organic Brain

08/18/2008 10:48 AM

Yes, yes. A robot with a rat's brain is all well and good. But to paraphrase the brilliant and disturbed genius Brother Theadore:

"You can place a rat's brain into a robot. Yes, if you work for hours and days and months and years, you can do this. But when you're done, all you'll have is a robot rat!"

Reply
Guru
Popular Science - Evolution - New Member Popular Science - Weaponology - New Member

Join Date: May 2006
Location: The 'Space Coast', USA
Posts: 11119
Good Answers: 918
#2
In reply to #1

Re: Robot With An Organic Brain

08/18/2008 11:02 AM

Robot rat, bah! You will have the equivalent of an attorney with all the strength of the terminator.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Reply
Commentator
Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - New Member

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Placerville, CA
Posts: 80
Good Answers: 8
#3

Re: Robot With An Organic Brain

08/18/2008 5:18 PM

Installed in a robot? What a waste. I know many humans for whom this upgrade would be appropriate.

__________________
ALL "electrical" failures are mechanical in nature.
Reply
Guru
New Zealand - Member - Interested in everything- see my Profile please APIX Pilot Plant Design Project - Member - Member Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - Member Hobbies - Musician - Autoharp and Harmonica Hobbies - Hunting - Member Hobbies - Fishing - Member

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Christchurch, (The Garden City), South Island, New Zealand
Posts: 4395
Good Answers: 230
#4

Re: Robot With An Organic Brain

08/19/2008 6:18 AM

I think that writer has procreation on the brain.

<"....sexy results...."> Indeed!

And what about that poor rat, whose feelings appear to have been forgotten.

Kind Regards....

__________________
"The number of inventions increases faster than the need for them at the time" - SparkY
Reply
Guru
United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Hobbies - Fishing - New Member

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Gone to Alabama with my banjo on my knee...
Posts: 5595
Good Answers: 20
#5

Re: Robot With An Organic Brain

08/19/2008 11:07 AM

Well, OK, but I'll be more impressed when they can put a ROBOT'S brain into the body of a rat. So far, the researchers are demonstrating imitation intelligence, which is a far cry from artificial intelligence.

__________________
Veni, vidi, video - I came, I saw, I got it on film.
Reply
Reply to Blog Entry 5 comments
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Hero (1); Anonymous Poster (1); EnviroMan (1); Mark684 (1); Sparkstation (1)

Previous in Blog: Inventors are sure cars can fly   Next in Blog: Garbage Truck with Surprise

Advertisement