{"id":374455,"date":"2025-12-27T05:48:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T05:48:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/374455\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T05:48:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T05:48:11","slug":"mini-human-brains-are-now-controlling-intelligent-robots-in-the-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/374455\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini human brains are now controlling intelligent robots in the lab"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a remarkable leap forward for robotics, a team of Chinese scientists has managed to teach tiny clusters of human brain cells \u2014 known as organoids \u2014 to control robots. These miniature \u201cbrains,\u201d while nowhere near as complex as a human one, are learning to interact with machines in entirely new ways.<\/p>\n

You may have heard the term \u201cwetware.\u201d It\u2019s the biological counterpart to software and hardware, referring to systems that blend living cells with technology. Once just a theoretical idea, wetware is quickly becoming a reality, thanks to advances in bioengineering. Brain organoids \u2014 tiny three-dimensional bundles of neurons grown from human stem cells \u2014 are at the center of this revolution.<\/p>\n

Other groundbreaking efforts are already underway, such as Johns Hopkins University\u2019s Organoid Intelligence initiative, Indiana University\u2019s Brainoware computer, and FinalSpark\u2019s neuroplatform. But researchers at Tianjin University and the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) have taken things a step further: they\u2019re using brain organoids to actually control robots<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Illustration of what a brain organoid integrated into a robot could look like. However, the current system is much smaller, and requires a lot of equipment to keep the organoid alive. \u00a9 Tianjin University<\/p>\n

Teaching living brain tissue to pilot machines<\/p>\n

Their project, named MetaBOC, acts as a bridge between bio-computers \u2014 devices containing \u201cbrains on a chip\u201d \u2014 and traditional electronic systems. Through this software interface, organoids receive sensor data as electrical signals, interpret it, and gradually learn to perform tasks. MetaBOC even integrates artificial intelligence<\/a> to help the biological and digital systems communicate and learn together.<\/p>\n

Just like training an AI model, scientists can first teach these living mini-brains to control robots in virtual simulations, reducing risks before moving to real-world tests. To enable richer neural activity, the researchers use spherical, 3D organoids cultivated with low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s working: robots guided by the MetaBOC system have already demonstrated the ability to avoid obstacles and grasp objects \u2014 early signs that biological computing could play a powerful role in the future of robotics.<\/p>\n

If successful, this hybrid of biology and technology could redefine what it means to \u201cthink,\u201d blurring the line between organic intelligence and artificial design.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Edward Back<\/p>\n

Journalist<\/p>\n

My passion for programming began with my very first computer, an Amstrad CPC 6128. I started coding in Basic, then moved on to Turbo Pascal on a 286, eventually exploring more modern languages including web development. I\u2019m also deeply interested in science, which led me to attend a math-focused preparatory program. Later, I studied psychology with a focus on the cognitive aspects of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In a remarkable leap forward for robotics, a team of Chinese scientists has managed to teach tiny clusters…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":374456,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[256,254,255,64,63,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-374455","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-artificial-intelligence","8":"tag-ai","9":"tag-artificial-intelligence","10":"tag-artificialintelligence","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}