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Dive into R.NF – the next generation of social discourse on the Fediverse. Merging the familiarity of platforms like Reddit with the decentralized power of the Fediverse, R.NF stands as a beacon for free thinkers, curious minds, and passionate debaters. Here, your voice isn't just another drop in the ocean – it's a wave. Discover niche communities, engage in rich discussions, and shape the narrative. Welcome to a space where conversation knows no bounds. Join R.NF, and let's redefine discourse, together.

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Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body (www.independent.co.uk)
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Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body (www.independent.co.uk)
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Mushroom learns to crawl after being given robot body (www.independent.co.uk)
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Spore Drive incoming? (www.independent.co.uk)
 
 

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/17039986

Engineers gave a mushroom a robot body and let it run wild

Nobody knows what sleeping mushrooms dream of when their vast mycelial networks flicker and pulse with electrochemical responses akin to those of our own brain cells.

But given a chance, what might this web of impulses do if granted a moment of freedom?

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Cornell University in the US and the University of Florence in Italy took steps to find out, putting a culture of the edible mushroom species Pleurotus eryngii (also known as the king oyster mushroom) in control of a pair of vehicles, which can twitch and roll across a flat surface.

Through a series of experiments, the researchers showed it was possible to use the mushroom's electrophysiological activity as a means of translating environmental cues into directives, which could, in turn, be used to drive a mechanical device's movements.

"By growing mycelium into the electronics of a robot, we were able to allow the biohybrid machine to sense and respond to the environment," says senior researcher Rob Shepherd, a materials scientist at Cornell.

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Engineers gave a mushroom a robot body and let it run wild (www.independent.co.uk)
 
 

Nobody knows what sleeping mushrooms dream of when their vast mycelial networks flicker and pulse with electrochemical responses akin to those of our own brain cells.

But given a chance, what might this web of impulses do if granted a moment of freedom?

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from Cornell University in the US and the University of Florence in Italy took steps to find out, putting a culture of the edible mushroom species Pleurotus eryngii (also known as the king oyster mushroom) in control of a pair of vehicles, which can twitch and roll across a flat surface.

Through a series of experiments, the researchers showed it was possible to use the mushroom's electrophysiological activity as a means of translating environmental cues into directives, which could, in turn, be used to drive a mechanical device's movements.

"By growing mycelium into the electronics of a robot, we were able to allow the biohybrid machine to sense and respond to the environment," says senior researcher Rob Shepherd, a materials scientist at Cornell.

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