Robots that live in symbiosis with fungi

A team of researchers led by Cornell University (USA) has created two types of robots that can sense and react to the environment by exploiting the electrical signals created by the king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) and its light sensitivity for control.

The team began by growing king oyster mushrooms in the lab, then cultured the fungus’s thread-like structures, which form networks that can sense, communicate, and transport nutrients—acting much like neurons in the human brain. The cultured mushrooms took 14 to 33 days to fully integrate into the robot’s frame. The mycelium generates tiny electrical signals and can be connected to electrodes.

Essentially, all living cells generate pulses that resemble action potentials, and fungi are no exception. The researchers designed a device that can accurately read the raw electrical activity of fungal hyphae, then process and convert it into digital information that can activate the robot's actuators. The robots were able to walk and roll in response to the electrical pulses generated by the hyphae, and when the robots were stimulated with ultraviolet light, they changed their gait and trajectory, suggesting that they could respond to their environment.

HUY QUOC

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/robot-cong-sinh-voi-nam-post757452.html