The debut of a robotic stingray, powered by using light-activated rat cells

The work famous a new approach for building bio-inspired robots with the aid of tissue engineering. Batoid fish, which consist of stingrays, are outstanding by using their flat bodies and lengthy, wing-like fins that expand from their heads. these fins pass in power-green waves that emanate from the front of the fin to the returned, permitting batoids to float gracefully through water. inspired via this design, Sung-Jin Park et al. endeavored to construct a miniature, gentle tissue robot with similar characteristics and efficiency.

They created neutrally charged gold skeletons that mimic the stingray's form, which have been overlaid with a thin layer of stretchy polymer. alongside the pinnacle of the robotic ray, the researchers strategically aligned rat cardiomyocytes (muscle cells). The cardiomyocytes, whilst inspired, agreement the fins downward.

considering stimulating the fins to turn in an upward motion would require a 2nd layer of cardiomyocytes, the researchers as a substitute designed the gold skeleton in a form that stores some downward energy, that is later released because the cells loosen up, allowing the fins to upward thrust. so that the researchers can manipulate the robot's movement the usage of pulses of light, the cardiomyoctyes were genetically engineered to respond to light cues.

Asymmetrical pulses of mild may be used to show the robot to the left or right, the researchers showed, and distinctive frequencies of mild may be used to manipulate its pace, as tested in a series of videos. The technique works nicely enough to manual the robot through a simple obstacle path. The robotic stingray, containing roughly two hundred,000 cardiomyocytes, is sixteen millimeters long and weighs simply 10 grams.