A robot controlled by neurons of rat

In the footsteps of Steve Potter, professor of biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta (USA), a pioneer of robots controlled by neurons live (1), the University of Reading in the UK ‘s announce the development of a robot controlled entirely by neurons alive … rats.
Note that although the press has been extensively here to a first, it should be noted that Steve Potter had already cleared the job with his long robot named “Hybrot” – a hybrid of biological and robotic components (our news 04/01/2003 and 08/05/2003).

The scope of connecting neurons living on electrodes has started in 1972, when scientists began to “grow” heart cells in vitro so as to save electric lessignaux. And that since 1979, the U.S. scientists began developing the technology to stimulate and record the signals emitted by neurons cultured in vitro, leading Today the multi electrode array (multi-electrode arrays, or MEA) which, according to Steve Potter, is the key to a better understanding of our brain. “With this kind of device, very simplified version of what happens in the human brain,” you can manipulate neurons much more easily than you can do so on an animal, for example by cutting some connections and see the effects General on signaling … ” Continue reading