Zombie Moth Head Controls Robot
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Monday, 20 of July , 2009 at 5:19 am
As we’ve seen, insect brains are way more complicated and capable than even the most complex artificial robot. With this in mind (so to speak) researchers in Japan are attempting to experimentally determine how insect brains are wired, in the hope of (soon) altering insect brains to do other things and (eventually) creating electronic brains that mimic the functionality of insect brains. Already, they’ve been able to genetically modify a male silkmoth so that it reacts to changing lights instead of changing scents, in effect remapping one stimulus-response to an entirely different type of sensory input.
The robot in the picture above is controlled by a severed moth head. The still functional antennae receive scent information and relay it to the moth’s brain, which does the data processing and sends signals to muscles, which are picked up by sensors and used to steer the robot. In this particular case, the robot can’t do much more than chase down sexy girl moths, but with the remapping technique, all kinds of customized moth brain sensor robots are possible. And more.
Experiments have shown that moth brains, like human brains, have the ability to adapt to situations which might seem impossibly complex, from an evolutionary standpoint:
“Humans walk only at some five kilometres per hour but can drive a car that travels at 100 kilometres per hour. It’s amazing that we can accelerate, brake and avoid obstacles in what originally seem like impossible conditions,” [researcher Ryohei Kanzaki] said.
“Our brain turns the car into an extension of our body,” he said, adding that “an insect brain may be able to drive a car like we can. I think they have the potential.
“It isn’t interesting to make a robo-worm that crawls as slowly as the real one. We want to design a machine which is far more powerful than the living body.”
I agree with the sentiment, but it is interesting to make biorobots that exhibit the same abilities as the animals they emulate… Or try to, rather. We’re nowhere close yet. A robo-worm that crawls as slowly as the real one through soil would absolutely knock my socks off. This may be a different philsophy, however: these researchers are focused more on harnessing the natural abilities of insects to enhance robots designed for other tasks, as opposed to creating robots that emulate the abilities of insects. Other people are working on that one.
Comments (16)
Category: Artificial Intelligence,Biorobotics,Research
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Comment by Mario59
Made Tuesday, 28 of July , 2009 at 5:24 pm
mmmh!
Moth zombies? Insect brain in robots? Are we all sure that this would led to progress? Or to drive a new way to make WARS?
I’m against vivisection, I think that eve a moth could suffer terribly in such situation just as any other living being.
The fact that the moth is a parasite and cannot “protest”, won’t mean that he (it) agrees.
This kind of Frankestein idea are *really dangerous* within wrong hands.
All I can say: STOP EXPERIMENTS on living beings!
Respect life!
Ethic behaviour would save planet Earth from self destruction!
STOP EXPERIMENTS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Luigi65
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 10:38 am
MY COCK TO MARIO!
Comment by Peach
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 11:45 am
I say we stop hurting the poor insects and start experimenting with liberals. Although the parasites do have a higher brain level.
Comment by Bowser
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 12:56 pm
I think you all are missing the point — this is meant to help humanity. It’s not like they stabbed the moth to death and then raped it; they killed it and used it’s brain as a computer. It would’ve died in a short time, anyway.
And Peach, you’re stupid. Politics have nothing to do with biology, so go back to commenting on Yahoo News articles.
Comment by Yoshi
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 1:36 pm
My brain has just been remapped to fear moths and robots D:
Comment by Bullet Bill
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 2:09 pm
I’ma plow the shit outa that moth.
Comment by Wario
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 2:44 pm
Can it play wii games?
Comment by Nigger
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 2:50 pm
Just what we needed, moths that flock to light sources.
Comment by Nigger
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 2:50 pm
Er . . . Robots.
Comment by Badger
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 5:32 pm
Meanwhile in Japan…
Comment by Toad
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 11:02 pm
An important question: do they feel pain?
Imagine if the reason this actually works is because they feel a specific pain that makes them involuntarily react.
Why is this important?
If they do feel pain then it’s unethical from us, but if they don’t then we are using resources fair and square.
In nature, living beings are quite cruel, most times out of need. I don’t think it’s the intention of these scientists to be cruel to living beings; they are trying to help their race (or even themselves), so it’s just a natural process. They should be ethical though, in order to ask for an ethic behavior themselves in the eventual need of it.
Also: why a mushroom would be named Toad?
Oh Japan, you… you
Comment by Shyguy
Made Monday, 9 of May , 2011 at 11:21 pm
I agree that there a lot of ethical grey areas here but ultimately these scientists aren’t doing this to be cruel. I know it sounds like the ends justify the means…
Also, “Toad” is short for toadstool I believe. However, “Oh Japan, you… you” is still accurate.
Comment by Mario59isretarded
Made Tuesday, 10 of May , 2011 at 1:52 am
First of all, I’d like to thank Cracked.com for bringing me here like it brought half of you here.
Second of all, mario59 is a retard. I’m going to kill moths right now because evolution says I can. After that maybe I’ll move up in the world and start killing butterflies.
Comment by DH
Made Tuesday, 10 of May , 2011 at 3:02 am
(Cracked)
Seriously? Zombie Cyborgs – just add Ninjas and that’s the end of th world right there!
Comment by Arman
Made Friday, 13 of May , 2011 at 2:16 am
I am not against that experiment as long as they only use insects(Just I believe that they have the least complex brain thus if they ever feel pain, it isn’t too much.) Though this is unethical, there must be someone that must be used to be experimented with. And yes, that’s the insects. Once they used animals especially dogs, I will never respect Japan as I did before. Russia used to do this experiment in living head of dogs or may even continue until now. How foolish.
Comment by PeachisStupid
Made Sunday, 20 of November , 2011 at 12:20 am
Peach you are confused like all republicans and right wing idiots are: you really meant “I say we stop hurting the poor insects and start experimenting with CONSERVATIVES, REPUBLICANS, ANY RIGHT WINGERS. Although the parasites do have a higher brain level.”
