Biobots: The Living Machines

How the intersection of robotics and biology blurs the lines between machine and living organisms

Welcome to the captivating world of biobots, a cutting-edge field sitting in between robotics and biology that challenges our definitions of what is a robot and what is a living organism.

Turning insects and plants into robots

One way of creating biobots is by transforming existing organisms into cyborgs.

These projects typically follow a similar approach: researchers attach a backpack filled with electronics to the insect, which connects to its antennas, allowing them to control its movement.

Researchers in Japan experimented with cyborg cockroaches with the intention to use them in search and rescue missions after earthquakes. A swarm of those cockroaches could be released to look for survivors in the rubble.

A cyborg cockroach

Another team, this time from the US, has been researching turning locusts into bomb-sniffing cyborgs. Their approach involved directly interfacing with the neurons of the insect in order to listen to the locust's olfactory system. Initial experiments have shown that this idea works, and the insects are capable of detecting and differentiating various explosive materials within a few hundred milliseconds of exposure.

For those intrigued by the concept of creating their own cyborg cockroaches, there is a kit available to do that at home (not sponsored, I just find it fascinating).

It's not just insects that can be turned into cyborgs; plants can be as well. In 2015, researchers from MIT developed spinach that could detect traces of explosives in the soil. When explosives were detected, the spinach emitted a constant fluorescent signal, which was then picked up by cameras. This project showed the potential use of plants as environmental detectors.

Also from MIT, there is Elowan, a cybernetic plant mounted on a robot. The robot listens to the plant's bioelectrical signals and moves it towards a light source. The research team later established bi-directional communication between computers and plants, proving that plants can serve as sensors and displays. They envision an entire ecosystem of "self-powered, self-repairing and self-fabricating" cybernetic plants, acting as sensors and displays throughout our homes.

A Venus flytrap controlled by a computer

Making biobots from scratch

So far, we have explored ways in which we can adapt existing life forms to become robots or cyborgs. However, we don't have to limit ourselves to what nature has created; we can also create new biobots from scratch.

One of the first successful biobots was created in 2007. It was a crab-like robot made with heart muscle cells that demonstrated the ability to walk continuously for over ten days. The term "biobot" was initially mentioned in a research paper from 2014, wherein scientists used skeletal muscle cells to construct their robot and electric pulses to control its movements.

A year later, the robot was improved. This time, researchers used sea slug muscles, resulting in smoother movements.

Biobot made from sea slug muscles

Other teams explored the possibility of creating robotic arms powered by biological muscles. The video below showcases the implementation of such arms. By applying electrical signals to the muscles, researchers were able to control the arm.

Electricity is not the only way to control muscles. Researchers from Harvard used light to control their cyborg stingray. Their robot has a gold skeleton infused with rat's heart cells encapsulated between layers of silicone. To manipulate the robot, researchers placed photosensitive cells on its body. When these cells detect light, they contract the muscles in a manner that imitates the graceful movements of a real stingray in water.

The result is one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing robots I’ve ever seen.

Blurring the line between machine and living organism

In 2020, researchers made a groundbreaking announcement about the creation of xenobots - the first living robots, as they called them.

Xenobots are an interesting creation. They are made from a frog’s heart and skin cells. They can move, self-heal and, in a later iteration, researchers observed they were able to reproduce.

They are a product of evolution. But their evolution occurred not in a natural environment, but within a virtual simulation. Through each generation, a computer algorithm iteratively refined the design, gradually achieving desired functionalities, such as the ability to move. Once the computer found a good enough combination of cells, the xenobots were assembled manually by humans and tested in real life.

Xenobot simulation (top) and in real life (bottom)

At the moment, xenobots are just an interesting research project, existing in the ambiguous realm between what we classify as living and non-living entities. These bio-engineered organisms can be used in drug delivery or toxic waste cleanup. What excites me about them is the prospect of developing a fully automated pipeline that can transform specific requirements into fully functional biobots, primed and prepared to carry out their designated tasks.

Xenobots are fascinating and we will take a closer look at them in the near future.

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