Fungal Robotics: Scientists Give Mushroom a Robotic Body, Enabling It to Crawl

Scientists at Cornell University and the University of Florence have created a revolutionary biohybrid robot that utilizes living fungi to control its movements and sense its environment. This groundbreaking innovation harnesses the unique properties of fungi to create a robot that can respond to various stimuli, including touch, light, heat, and even unknown signals.

The robot's control system is based on the electrical signals generated by the mycelium of a king trumpet mushroom, an edible species. By leveraging the fungi's natural responses to different inputs, the robot can adapt to unexpected environments and situations. Researchers believe this technology could lead to a new era of living robotics, enabling machines to interact with their surroundings in a more dynamic and responsive way.

The biohybrid robot's design involves integrating the fungal mycelium into the robot's electronics, allowing it to sense and respond to chemical and biological signals. This fusion of living and synthetic components enables the robot to move and navigate its environment in a unique and flexible manner. In experiments, the robot demonstrated its ability to move slowly across a surface using robotic legs, and another variant used a wheeled system to navigate.

This technology has wide range of possible uses, including:

1. Agricultural monitoring: The robot could sense soil chemistry and optimize fertilizer application, reducing harmful environmental impacts.

2. Environmental monitoring: The robot's ability to sense chemical and biological signals could be used to detect pollutants or track climate changes.

3. Search and rescue: The robot's adaptability and responsiveness to unknown signals could aid in navigating disaster scenarios.

This breakthrough builds upon previous experiments in biohybrid robotics, such as the artificial worm brain integrated into a Lego robot and the MIT machine that combined living muscle tissue with synthetic components. However, the use of fungi offers a significant advantage due to their ability to grow and survive in harsh conditions.

The study, published in Science Robotics, demonstrates the vast potential of biohybrid robotics and opens new avenues for research and innovation. By harnessing the power of living systems, scientists can create robots that are more adaptable, responsive, and capable of interacting with their environment in complex and dynamic ways.

Reference:

1. Mishra, Anand Kumar, Jaeseok Kim, Hannah Baghdadi, Bruce R. Johnson, Kathie T. Hodge, and Robert F. Shepherd. “Sensorimotor control of robots mediated by electrophysiological measurements of fungal mycelia.” Science Robotics 9, no. 93 (August 28, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.adk8019.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Vaishnavi Dalvi/MSM)