UK researchers give robot a "biological brain"

It looks like a group of researchers from the University of Reading are making a solid run at the title of mad scientists of the year (in the best sense, of course), with them now boasting that they've developed a robot that's controlled by a "biological brain." That's not quite the sci-fi sight you may be imagining, however (though it's close), with it instead made up of some 300,000 neurons taken from the neural cortex of a rat fetus, which are contained in multi electrode array that packs 60 electrodes to pick up the signals generated by the cells and, in turn, control the robot. According to the researchers, they are particularly interested in using the robot to study how memories are formed in the brain, and how the brain stores specific data, which they hope will lead to a better understanding of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, stokes, and other brain injuries.

[Via Emerging Tech, New Scientist]

[Joel @ Aug 13th 2008 4:12PM]

Gah, its Captain Cyborg (Dr K Warick)....for those of you who are not aware of this....interesting gentleman....need to read The Register....bascilly the bloke is a total fruit cake. He inserted a RFID tag under the skin of his arm and then proclaimed he was part man part machine....a cyborg if you will.

[Moot @ Aug 13th 2008 4:16PM]

I strongly suggest you learn to spell someone's name before you slag them off like that.

- Marty Warwick.

[Snood @ Aug 15th 2008 6:27PM]

Prof. Kevin Warwick isn't a fruit cake. A bit of a media whore, yes. I study at Reading University, I have lectures from him. He's far from a fruitcake. Incredibly clever man.

[m @ Aug 13th 2008 4:55PM]

I'm having trouble deciding who is more lame:

a) Joel, for being pwned by the subject of the article. That's gotta hurt.

b) Marty, for lurking on engadget, and pwning people who get his name wrong. Marty, what? Are you afraid of being confused with the other mad scientist named Warwick making fetal ratbots? Seriously, most of these commenters work at Blockbuster and live in their parents' basements. Don't you have anything better to do with your time? Perhaps applying for grants from the National Mad Science Foundation?

[JR @ Aug 13th 2008 5:21PM]

Hey "m". You are probably more lame. Marty Warwick is not the subject of the article. The person in question is Kevin Warwick.

[Moot @ Aug 13th 2008 5:24PM]

I guess my post came off more harsh than intended, I wasn't annoyed or anything that he got MY name wrong, it happens all the time. I didn't take it personally (putting my full name after just seemed like a bit of fun haha). It's easy to see how people saying negative things about someone they barely know would seem annoying, but as you said about the status of most commenters, maybe I should keep schtum... my mistake.

On a seperate note, I would LOVE it if there was a National Mad Science Foundation. :)

[Alex @ Aug 13th 2008 6:25PM]

Kevin a fruitcake? Far from it. I also study at Reading, and he is by far one of the most helpful and and most intelligent lecturers there. He is a bit of a media whore, but in a subject so starved of funds that is really just a commendable point!

He is far more interesting than the stereotypical grumpy professor. Oh and the RFID tag was one of the first experiments, I suggest you actually do some reading on the brain gate nerve interface, which is what made him the "cyborg". The RFID tag was just an implant, the braingate is a bidirectional 100 pin nerve interface chip.

[Eothein @ Aug 13th 2008 4:13PM]

Kill it.

With fire.

Before it kills us.

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 13th 2008 4:42PM]

Well, maybe US researchers could give Bush a biological brain.

[Vammo @ Aug 13th 2008 5:15PM]

Pushing the envelope a bit far, don't you think??

[Mike10010100 @ Aug 13th 2008 5:20PM]

We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your vessels. We will add you biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us.

[Eothein @ Aug 13th 2008 4:14PM]

It' a shame they didn't make it earlier since you have spent such a long time without a brain.

[greg @ Aug 13th 2008 4:19PM]

cyborg? awsome!

[Vammo @ Aug 13th 2008 4:19PM]

awww, he got one finally. good for him. For the record, you could have asked, "will it blend?" instead of the iphone comment and still reached the same level of douche-a-tude.

But for real now, the article mentions .."Every time the robot nears an object, signals are directed to stimulate the brain by means of the electrodes."

So they shock the cells if they are about to hit something and then hope it will remember to avoid the same obstacle again? Seems a bit contrived unless they blindfold it and send it through the same course.

Ohhh, then spritz a little alcohol on the buggers and see what happens!

[Mr. Fax Sender @ Aug 13th 2008 4:20PM]

After it becomes self aware and kills us all, Jesus will come down from heaven and realize he's too late.

It's been a good run, guys.

[Boarderwoot @ Aug 13th 2008 4:33PM]

Freedom is the right of all Sentient beings....


the freedom to destroy all humans and encapsulate them in giant towers forcing them to create electricity to produce armies of robot spawn which will take over the universe. All because some people were working for the sake of Oldtimer's research.

[Rory @ Aug 13th 2008 4:34PM]

"with it instead made up of some 300,000 neurons taken from the neural cortex of a rat fetus" Hide your cheese. Crazy Robot Rat is on the loose !

[JR @ Aug 13th 2008 4:37PM]

I didn't think it would happen, but it has. People bagging on the "first"-ers and down-ranking them has become more annoying and overplayed than people posting "first".

[Mike C @ Aug 13th 2008 4:37PM]

You know, while I'm supposed to be drawing construction details yet instead browsing engadget, do I really hate these FIRST!!1 posts so much?

yes, the initial r-tard is, well, an r-tard. But then there is always a witty and pointed comment that makes me laugh.

I am still undecided...

[ngamer007 @ Aug 13th 2008 4:39PM]

And I, for one, welcome our new rat-fetus brained robot overlords.

[JDGATX @ Aug 13th 2008 4:46PM]

And I, for one, laugh every time I read one of these comments.

I know. I know.

[Knives_Out @ Aug 13th 2008 4:47PM]

one-upped the japanese and their "feeling" robot ...

[Mustaine @ Aug 14th 2008 10:10AM]

rat-brained robot+robot hand+cheese in a can=hot date.

[Samurai Jack @ Aug 13th 2008 4:52PM]

Sure this guy isn't named Davros? How long before the little pepper pot starts running around screaming "exterminate! exterminate!"?

[DeusExMach @ Aug 13th 2008 6:33PM]

Don't forget to add the German Language pack... "Extermineren! Extermineren!" Even though the actual translation should have been "Ausrottung".

Stupid Daleks can't find the Google translator on the web?

...Daleks reign Supreme, my ass...

[Dee @ Aug 13th 2008 5:02PM]

I thought it was the scarecrow that needed a brain not the tin man? All that research and they put it in the wrong person, when will people learn to read the charts!

[Rick @ Aug 13th 2008 5:13PM]

Da da-da, da da-da, if I only had a brain.

[Eric @ Aug 13th 2008 5:25PM]

My first thought was: Gabbo to have "real boy" operation...

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Krusty_Gets_Cancelled

[dukemang @ Aug 13th 2008 5:33PM]

I bet it's great at mazes.

[Teron @ Aug 13th 2008 6:07PM]

the wonders of rat fetus..

[JohnnyBoy @ Aug 13th 2008 6:39PM]

Wow. How long will it be before Radio Shack starts selling these as kits? What does the 'pin-out' diagram for a rat-foetus brain look like?

(Joking aside, I find this story really quite disturbing....)

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Aug 13th 2008 6:53PM]

So we're developing a robot that really has sh*t for brains. Use a ccelebrity.

[datafobik @ Aug 13th 2008 7:52PM]

I wonder, what did the researchers find about the memory?

[Strange Quark Star @ Aug 13th 2008 8:30PM]

Snow Crash, once again.
(The dog brain controlled sentry robots in Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong).

[ShadowKain @ Aug 13th 2008 9:25PM]

Oh great why dont they just release the Armageddon Bots already! Im locking my door

[linuxamp @ Aug 13th 2008 11:26PM]

The perfect decoy for those brain-eating zombies...

[TheJalAbides @ Aug 13th 2008 11:30PM]

Man, there's nothing I fear more than stokes.

[acabtp @ Aug 13th 2008 11:37PM]

Maybe these same scientists can develop some sort of context-sensitive spelling and grammar checking system.

[TheJalAbides @ Aug 13th 2008 11:39PM]

by "scientists," do you mean "editors?"

[TheJalAbides @ Aug 14th 2008 12:20AM]

and by "scientists" i really meant "context-sensitive spelling and grammar checking system."

[Water Closet @ Aug 13th 2008 11:43PM]

Gives a whole new meaning to "Pinky and the Brain"

[acabtp @ Aug 27th 2008 2:21AM]

no, not really

[skulldriveshaft @ Aug 15th 2008 4:09AM]

and the brain brain brain

[flange @ Aug 14th 2008 12:35AM]

Those wheels look like they could be easily replaced by circular saw blades... just saying.

[Alex @ Aug 14th 2008 2:01AM]

Bah, that's boring. Put the brain in a computer and have it play counter strike! See if it's any good :D

[Anonymous @ Aug 14th 2008 4:42AM]

Yes but can it run Crysis?

[theduke @ Aug 14th 2008 6:45AM]

Cylons incoming!

[DarkUltra @ Aug 14th 2008 7:23AM]

am i the only one that's freaked out by this? Imagine some mad scientist extracting _your_ brain, putting it in a sugar/oxygen solution and then connecting electrodes to it. You would be awake, and very, very afraid. How many days until you can't take it anymore?

HOPEFULLY your brain would get messed up after a while and you would loose awarness and 'get out' of that mess.

I've had a similar experience, being locked up at a psychiatric institution full of angst and not able to end my life. Add to this some aspberger and the whole thing become more intense. Fortunately the angst was due to a nasty depression + anti-bipolar drug, and depressions usually goes away (by walking).

[Mustaine @ Aug 14th 2008 10:13AM]

rat-brained robot+robot hand+cheese in a can=hot date