
Researchers build microscopic biohybrid robots propelled by muscles, nerves - lelf
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-09-microscopic-biohybrid-robots-propelled-muscles.html
======
Accujack
I get tired of hearing about science reported on by people who feel the need
to make it more buzzword compliant to get page views.

The initial "robot" created by this project was described like this:

"Our first swimmer study successfully demonstrated that the bots, modeled
after sperm cells, could in fact swim," Saif said. "That generation of
singled-tailed bots utilized cardiac tissue that beats on its own, but they
could not sense the environment or make any decisions."

A fair summary would be that the team stuck some cardiac cells on some kind of
structure with the result that it moved in a way that mimics swimming to an
outside observer, but of course was simply pointless movement because there
was no way to control the constructs.

There also is no mention of longevity, usability for any purpose other than
"look, it sorta swims", etc. For all we know, these "robots" might only "live"
for a few minutes.

The addition of optic stem cells had the predictable effect, where light could
now be used to alter the previously random path of the constructs.

All this is interesting, but the article implies that it's some sort of
important breakthrough or that it's nearly ready for some sort of purposeful
use when all that's going on is some researchers are trying to construct
synthetic organisms from stem cells like a kid building a lego kit, with
results that are equally predictable.

~~~
projektfu
The difference being that children can build controllable robots from LEGO
kits

------
taneq
Again blurring the lines between 'robot' and 'not robot', but this one
(despite arguably being just an optically triggered actuator) is very
interesting and hella creepy.

