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Scientists Have Developed the First Robots Made Entirely From Living Tissue

Teh_Lurv

Teh_Lurv

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,091
Scientists from Harvard, Tufts, & the University of Vermont have developed the first "living machines" made through the manipulation of frog embroyic cells.

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Tiny living robots have been created using cells taken from frog embryos. Each so-called xenobot is less than a millimeter across, but one can propel itself through water using two stumpy limbs, while another has a kind of pouch that it could use to carry a small load.
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The robots are constructed from heart cells, which spontaneously contract and relax like tiny pistons, and skin cells that provide more rigid structure. Once it is set loose, a robot's cells have enough energy to keep it wriggling and squirming for up to 10 days.
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This first crop of xenobots are very basic. But future versions could be made with nervous systems and sensory cells—even rudimentary cognitive abilities—which would allow them to react to their environment.
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Reveal me to be a Replicant ERA if old.
 
BDS

BDS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,845
Anyone confused? I can't seem to view the article or any images. It doesn't look like anything to me.
 
PennyStonks

PennyStonks

Banned
May 17, 2018
4,401
"These are novel living machines," said Joshua Bongard, one of the lead researchers at the University of Vermont, in the news release. "They're neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It's a new class of artifact: a living, programmable organism."
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Aaronrules380

Aaronrules380

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
22,420
That's cool. There are people in my lab who work on related technologies, but they use 3D printed plastic scaffolding as well as cells
 
tuffy

tuffy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,508
For the next step, they should develop a robot made of a hyperalloy combat chassis that's surrounded by living human tissue.
 
Hiphopopotamus

Hiphopopotamus

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,885
Well, to borrow from an old comedy bit, 'maybe Mother Earth made humans so we could make her the robot frogs she couldn't create on her own'
 
DiipuSurotu

DiipuSurotu

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
53,148
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Maybe in the future we have little robots like these inside us, helping our bodies function and stay healthy
 
KDR_11k

KDR_11k

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
5,235
Wouldn't it be more efficient to start with a tardigrade and install a pouch on that? Comes with eight stumpy legs that wiggle.

Instead of Terminator, which is just metal with a skin exterior, you should think of HR Giger stuff. Mechanics built entirely from flesh.

Also xenobots sounds wrong, they're not exactly xeno, are they? If you want a cool name got for FLESH MACHINES!
 
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