Tokyo scientists have created the first 'biohybrid' robot

[Matrix]

The metal/plastic skeletal framework is powered by synthetic rat muscles produced in the lab

 

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have fabricated a robot that moves using live muscle tissue from rats. They call the cyborg-like appendage a “biohybrid robot.”

The researchers published a paper in the academic journal Science Robotics that outlines the functionality of the creepy device and how they produced it. The robot itself is very rudimentary. It is basically a finger (or two) with a single point of movement.

However, its simplicity does not hinder its functionality. The video above shows the robot manipulating and lifting objects. The scientists say that this is just the “groundwork” for creating more advanced, lifelike robots.

“If we can combine more of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce the complex muscular interplay that allows hands, arms, and other parts of the body to function,” said project lead Shoji Takeuchi.

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