Chinese scientists have created a Frankenstein-like robot that is powered by a tiny human brain in a first-of-its-kind feat.
The robot works by using a lab-grown brain organoid, a mass of cells, and a computer chip that interacts with the brain’s nervous system.
It has been described as a ‘brain on a chip’ that functions like a human brain using sensors and an AI-powered algorithm which prompts the robot to move, grab objects and avoid obstacles.
The team claimed that the brain shows signs of intelligence, similar to a human brain, by autonomously moving its extremities, and could lead to methods for repairing damage to a human’s cerebral cortex and create other techniques to heal neurological disorders.
A team of Chinese scientists used stem cells a type of cell that forms brain tissue in the body – to build the brain.
They paired it with a computer chip that passes instructions to the robot’s body that is a mixture of human cells and computer chips that function like a human brain.
Scientists from at
Tianjin University created the machine using brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that combine the electrical signals released from a brain with the computer chips.
Researchers explained that the robot does not have eyes and only responds through the electrical and sensory signals sent by the neurons.
Brain organoid transplants are considered a promising strategy for restoring brain function by replacing lost neurons and reconstructing neural circuits, the study said.
However, the research is still in the early stages of development and it remains unclear if the organoids could ever be used to repair or reconstruct damaged brain tissues.
Source: Qatar News Agency