A hybrot (short for "hybrid robot") is a cybernetic organism in the form of a robot controlled by a computer consisting of both electronic and biological elements. The Hybrot, a small robot that moves about using the brain signals of a rat, is the first robotic device whose movements are controlled by a network of cultured neuron cells. The biological elements are typically rat neurons connected to a computer chip.
This feat was first accomplished by Dr. Steve Potter, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology:
“ In his experiment, Potter places a droplet of solution containing thousands of rat neuron cells onto a silicon chip that's embedded with 60 electrodes connected to an amplifier. The electrical signals that the cells fire at one another are picked up by the electrodes which then send the amplified signal into a computer. The computer, in turn, wirelessly relays the data to the robot.
“ The robot then manifests this neuronal activity with physical motion, each of its movements a direct result of neurons talking to neurons. And the robot also sends information back to the cells. Equipped with light sensors, the robot receives input about its location in the playpen from infrared signals lining the borders. ” (wiki take link from: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/401756/rat-brained-robot/)
"Prof Steve Potter said [...] it was clear that brain cells have evolved to reconnect under almost any circumstance that doesn’t kill them.”
image from: https://neurolab.gatech.edu/labs/potter/animat
Cortical tissue (from day 18 embryonic rats) is dissociated and cultured on a 60 channel multi-electrode array (Multichannel Systems). Each electrode can detect the extracellular activity (action potentials) of several nearby neurons and can stimulate activity by passing a voltage or current through the electrode and across nearby cell membranes (e.g., +/−600 mV 400 μs, biphasic pulses). Dissociated neurons begin forming connections within a few hours in culture, and within a few days establish an elaborate and spontaneously active living neural network. After one month in culture, development of these networks becomes relatively stable ( and is characterized by spontaneous bursts of activity. This activity was measured in real-time and used to produce movements within a virtual environment (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440704/).
HYBROT :
- silicon chip embedded with 60 electrodes conected to
- amplifier
- computer
- wi fi
- light sensors
Another interesting feature of the hybrot is its longevity. Neurons separated from a living brain usually die after only a couple of months. However, due to a specially designed incubator built around a gas-tight culture chamber selectively permeable to carbon dioxide, but impermeable to water vapor, reduces the risk of contamination and evaporation, and may extend the life of the hybrot to one to two years. (link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrot)
Steve Potter's site: http://potterlab.gatech.edu/
Article is also referring to post MEART
This feat was first accomplished by Dr. Steve Potter, a professor of biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology:
“ In his experiment, Potter places a droplet of solution containing thousands of rat neuron cells onto a silicon chip that's embedded with 60 electrodes connected to an amplifier. The electrical signals that the cells fire at one another are picked up by the electrodes which then send the amplified signal into a computer. The computer, in turn, wirelessly relays the data to the robot.
“ The robot then manifests this neuronal activity with physical motion, each of its movements a direct result of neurons talking to neurons. And the robot also sends information back to the cells. Equipped with light sensors, the robot receives input about its location in the playpen from infrared signals lining the borders. ” (wiki take link from: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/401756/rat-brained-robot/)
"Prof Steve Potter said [...] it was clear that brain cells have evolved to reconnect under almost any circumstance that doesn’t kill them.”
Cortical tissue (from day 18 embryonic rats) is dissociated and cultured on a 60 channel multi-electrode array (Multichannel Systems). Each electrode can detect the extracellular activity (action potentials) of several nearby neurons and can stimulate activity by passing a voltage or current through the electrode and across nearby cell membranes (e.g., +/−600 mV 400 μs, biphasic pulses). Dissociated neurons begin forming connections within a few hours in culture, and within a few days establish an elaborate and spontaneously active living neural network. After one month in culture, development of these networks becomes relatively stable ( and is characterized by spontaneous bursts of activity. This activity was measured in real-time and used to produce movements within a virtual environment (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440704/).
HYBROT :
- silicon chip embedded with 60 electrodes conected to
- amplifier
- computer
- wi fi
- light sensors
Another interesting feature of the hybrot is its longevity. Neurons separated from a living brain usually die after only a couple of months. However, due to a specially designed incubator built around a gas-tight culture chamber selectively permeable to carbon dioxide, but impermeable to water vapor, reduces the risk of contamination and evaporation, and may extend the life of the hybrot to one to two years. (link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrot)
Steve Potter's site: http://potterlab.gatech.edu/
Article is also referring to post MEART
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