Mushrooms moving robots?! It might sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but this is actually the result of real scientific research. A team at Cornell University has developed an innovative robot inspired by ordinary mushrooms found on the forest floor. This “biohybrid robot” is controlled by electrical signals emitted by fungal mycelium. It’s truly a remarkable invention that combines nature’s wisdom with cutting-edge technology.
By Cornell University
Why Use Mushroom Mycelium?
Traditionally, robot development has often drawn inspiration from the animal kingdom. There are numerous robots that mimic animal movements, environmental recognition abilities, and temperature regulation functions. However, when it comes to robots incorporating living cells or tissues, maintaining these biological systems in a healthy and functional state has been challenging.
This is where mushroom mycelium comes into play. Mycelium is the network of thread-like cells that form the body of a mushroom, typically spreading underground. Mycelium has several advantages:
- It can grow in harsh environments
- It has the ability to sense chemical and biological signals
- It can respond to multiple inputs
Professor Rob Shepherd, the research team leader, explains, “By incorporating mycelium into the robot’s electronics, we’ve enabled the biohybrid machine to sense and respond to its environment.” Here, “biohybrid machine” refers to a robot that combines biological elements (in this case, mycelium) with mechanical components.
Research Details
This research is detailed in a paper titled “Sensorimotor Control of Robots Mediated by Electrophysiological Measurements of Fungal Mycelia,” published in “Science Robotics“. The lead author, Anand Mishra, states, “This paper is the first step in many studies that will utilize the fungal kingdom to provide environmental sensing and command signals to robots, improving their levels of autonomy.”
“Environmental sensing” here refers to the robot’s ability to detect its surroundings. “Autonomy” means the robot’s capacity to make decisions and act on its own without direct external control.
The research team brought together expertise from various fields to tackle the complex challenge of combining mushrooms and electronics. Knowledge from mechanical engineering, electronics, mycology, neurobiology, and signal processing was required.
How the System Works
The system developed by the research team consists of the following elements:
- Electrical interface: This blocks vibration and electromagnetic interference, accurately recording and processing the mycelium’s electrophysiological activity in real-time. “Electrophysiological activity” refers to the weak electrical signals emitted by biological cells. Specifically, it measures the changes in electrical potential caused by ion flow through the mycelium’s cell membranes. These electrical signals fluctuate when the mycelium detects changes in the external environment (light, temperature, chemicals, etc.), forming the basis for environmental sensing.
- Controller: This is inspired by Central Pattern Generators (CPGs). CPGs are neural circuits in biological systems that generate rhythmic movements. For example, human walking and breathing rhythms are controlled by CPGs.
In this robotic system, the CPG concept is applied to convert electrical signals obtained from the mycelium into rhythmic motion patterns. Specifically, it analyzes the periodicity and intensity of the mycelium’s electrical signals and uses this to generate the robot’s movement patterns (walking rhythms, direction changes, etc.). This allows for natural and efficient control of the robot’s movements in response to changes in the external environment.
The system reads the raw electrical signals from the mycelium, processes them, and identifies rhythmic spikes (sudden changes in potential). It then converts this information into digital control signals and sends them to the robot’s actuators (devices that generate motion). This results in a unique control system where the mycelium’s “sensations” are directly reflected in the robot’s “actions”.
Experimental Results
The research team created two types of biohybrid robots:
- A soft robot shaped like a spider
- A wheeled robot
Three experiments were conducted using these robots:
- An experiment where the robots walked or moved in response to natural continuous spikes in the mycelium’s signals
- An experiment observing the robots’ reactions to ultraviolet light stimulation (the robots changed their walking patterns)
- An experiment completely overriding the mycelium’s native signals
These experiments demonstrated that biohybrid robots utilizing mycelium can react to their environment and be controlled. In other words, the mushroom mycelium functions as the robot’s “brain,” allowing it to change its movements in response to environmental stimuli.
Research Significance and Future Prospects
This research has the potential for wide-ranging impacts beyond the fields of robotics and mycology. Mishra explains, “This project isn’t just about controlling a robot. It’s also about creating a true connection with a living system.”
Professor Shepherd mentions potential future applications in agriculture: “Future robots might be able to sense soil chemistry in crop rows and decide when to add more fertilizer. This could potentially mitigate downstream effects of agriculture, such as harmful algal blooms.”
For example, if these “mushroom robots” could patrol fields and monitor soil conditions in real-time, it might be possible to prevent excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, enabling more environmentally friendly agriculture.
Moreover, the applications of this technology extend beyond agriculture. For instance:
- Environmental monitoring: Utilizing the mycelium’s highly sensitive sensing abilities, robots could be developed to detect air and water pollution.
- Disaster rescue: Leveraging their ability to function in harsh environments, these robots could be applied to rescue operations in earthquake or fire disaster sites.
- Medical field: The ability to sense minute environmental changes could lead to the development of microrobots that operate inside the body.
- Space exploration: Their ability to survive in extreme environments could be applied to robots exploring other planets.
Such technological innovations not only create new types of robots but also have the potential to bring about significant changes in how we interact with society and the environment. For example, more precise environmental monitoring could contribute to climate change countermeasures and ecosystem protection. Applications in the medical field could lead to the development of less invasive and more effective treatment methods.
Research Team and Collaborative Structure
This innovative research was made possible through the cooperation of experts from various fields:
- Bruce Johnson: Senior Research Associate in Neurobiology and Behavior. He provided guidance on how to record electrical signals transmitted through neuron-like ion channels in mycelial membranes.
- Kathie Hodge: Associate Professor of Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology. She instructed on how to cultivate clean mycelial cultures. Maintaining the purity of the mycelium is essential for obtaining accurate electrical signals.
- Jaeseok Kim: University of Florence, Italy.
- Hannah Baghdadi: Undergraduate Research Assistant.
The collaboration of these experts enabled truly interdisciplinary research, fusing fields such as mechanical engineering, electronics, mycology, neurobiology, and signal processing.
Conclusion
The development of biohybrid robots utilizing mushroom mycelium is an innovative achievement resulting from the fusion of biology and engineering. This research not only opens new avenues for developing robots that can better adapt to their environment but also demonstrates the possibility of creating a true connection between biological systems and machines.
As this technology further develops, applications are expected in various fields such as agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster rescue, medicine, and space exploration. It has the potential to lead to the development of more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies by harnessing the wisdom of nature.
The fusion of the mushroom world and cutting-edge robotics suggests a new relationship between nature and technology. This research emphasizes the importance of biological approaches in future robot development and clearly demonstrates how interdisciplinary cooperation can lead to innovative outcomes.
The day may come when the “mushrooms” familiar to us become the key to creating cutting-edge technology. We need to keep an eye on future technological innovations that combine nature’s wisdom with artificial intelligence. The transformations this technology could bring to society – from environmental protection to advances in medicine and new developments in space exploration – have the potential to greatly impact our lives and the future of our planet. The research on biohybrid robots truly represents a new form of 21st-century science aiming for the coexistence of nature and technology.
