The Ratbot: Researchers unveil first robot with "biological brain"
Posted: August 13, 2008, 9:50 PM by Brad Frenette
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Robot technology has been making steady advances in recent years, but the announcement today of a robot with a rat brain seems to be a game-changer.
Researchers at University of Reading have built a robot with a "biological brain". This brain is made up of 300,000 cultured rat neurons, which are placed on a dish of electrodes. The electrodes pick up the electrical currents of the cells, which then compel the movements of the robot. When approaching an object, the brain signals the robot's wheels, which then avoid the object.
No remotes, no humans, this brain is the only thing that controls this bot. And as the robot returns to the same terrain, it's hoped that the brain will remember where the objects are, and avoid them, from memory.
Even though it sounds like an Isaac Asimov script, the point here is purely scientific, not science fiction (although somewhere, someone is surely dusting off Izzy's Three Laws of Robotics, just in case).
One of the researchers, Professor Kevin Warwick, talks about the application of a learning robot:
Ratbot: A Q&A with a member of the research team
Posted: August 14, 2008, 12:56 PM by Brad Frenette Randomness, Robots<input name="ctl00$Main$WeblogPostTagEditableList1$ctl01" id="ctl00_Main_WeblogPostTagEditableList1_ctl01_State" value="value:%3Ca%20href%3D%22%2Fnp%2Fblogs%2Ftheampersand%2Farchive%2Ftags%2FRandomness%2Fdefault.aspx%22%20rel%3D%22tag%22%3ERandomness%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22%2Fnp%2Fblogs%2Ftheampersand%2Farchive%2Ftags%2FRobots%2Fdefault.aspx%22%20rel%3D%22tag%22%3ERobots%3C%2Fa%3E" type="hidden">
Yesterday, we told you about Ratbot, the world's first robot built with a biological brain.
Turns out Ratbot's already got a name, and it's much less exciting.
We reached one of the project members, Dr Lucy Chappell at the University of Reading to get more details on the robot:
Q: How long has this project been in progress?
A: The project has been going on for approximately 2 years.
Q: Please explain how the biological brain robot will learn.
A:The robot is learning by the habit of doing things. This strengthens the neural pathways in the brain. A major part of the research is learning what electrical and chemical stimulation to apply to strengthen these neural pathways.
Q: Can you expect that the brain's functions will go beyond movement?
A: Yes, movement is the only thing the researchers have allowed it to do yet, but we expect that it will go beyond movement as the project progresses.
Q: Ok, so have the researchers given the robot a name?
A: The researchers have named the robot Gordon after the University of Reading Vice Chancellor, Gordon Marshall.
Posted: August 13, 2008, 9:50 PM by Brad Frenette
<object width="425" height="344"></object>
Robot technology has been making steady advances in recent years, but the announcement today of a robot with a rat brain seems to be a game-changer.
Researchers at University of Reading have built a robot with a "biological brain". This brain is made up of 300,000 cultured rat neurons, which are placed on a dish of electrodes. The electrodes pick up the electrical currents of the cells, which then compel the movements of the robot. When approaching an object, the brain signals the robot's wheels, which then avoid the object.
No remotes, no humans, this brain is the only thing that controls this bot. And as the robot returns to the same terrain, it's hoped that the brain will remember where the objects are, and avoid them, from memory.
Even though it sounds like an Isaac Asimov script, the point here is purely scientific, not science fiction (although somewhere, someone is surely dusting off Izzy's Three Laws of Robotics, just in case).
One of the researchers, Professor Kevin Warwick, talks about the application of a learning robot:
This new research is tremendously exciting as firstly the biological brain controls its own moving robot body, and secondly it will enable us to investigate how the brain learns and memorises its experiences. This research will move our understanding forward of how brains work, and could have a profound effect on many areas of science and medicine.
The team hopes those areas will include "a better understanding of development and of diseases and disorders which affect the brain such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, stoke and brain injury."
Ratbot: A Q&A with a member of the research team
Posted: August 14, 2008, 12:56 PM by Brad Frenette Randomness, Robots<input name="ctl00$Main$WeblogPostTagEditableList1$ctl01" id="ctl00_Main_WeblogPostTagEditableList1_ctl01_State" value="value:%3Ca%20href%3D%22%2Fnp%2Fblogs%2Ftheampersand%2Farchive%2Ftags%2FRandomness%2Fdefault.aspx%22%20rel%3D%22tag%22%3ERandomness%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22%2Fnp%2Fblogs%2Ftheampersand%2Farchive%2Ftags%2FRobots%2Fdefault.aspx%22%20rel%3D%22tag%22%3ERobots%3C%2Fa%3E" type="hidden">
Yesterday, we told you about Ratbot, the world's first robot built with a biological brain.
Turns out Ratbot's already got a name, and it's much less exciting.
We reached one of the project members, Dr Lucy Chappell at the University of Reading to get more details on the robot:
Q: How long has this project been in progress?
A: The project has been going on for approximately 2 years.
Q: Please explain how the biological brain robot will learn.
A:The robot is learning by the habit of doing things. This strengthens the neural pathways in the brain. A major part of the research is learning what electrical and chemical stimulation to apply to strengthen these neural pathways.
Q: Can you expect that the brain's functions will go beyond movement?
A: Yes, movement is the only thing the researchers have allowed it to do yet, but we expect that it will go beyond movement as the project progresses.
Q: Ok, so have the researchers given the robot a name?
A: The researchers have named the robot Gordon after the University of Reading Vice Chancellor, Gordon Marshall.