UCLA Bioengineering leads development of stingray-inspired soft biobot
UCLA bioengineering professor Ali Khademhosseini has led the development of a tissue-based soft robot that mimics the biomechanics of a stingray. The new technology could lead to advances in bio-inspired robotics, regenerative medicine and medical diagnostics. The study [DOI: 10.1002/adma.201704189] [DX] was published in Advanced Materials.
The simple body design of stingrays, specifically, a flattened body shape and side fins that start at the head and end at the base of their tail, makes them ideal to model bio-electromechanical systems on.
The 10-millimeter long robot is made up of four layers: tissue composed of live heart cells, two distinct types of specialized biomaterials for structural support, and flexible electrodes. Imitating nature, the robotic stingray is even able to "flap" its fins when the electrodes contract the heart cells on the biomaterial scaffold.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @06:25PM (2 children)
I'm confused. How does the biomechanical stingray intercept my IMEI.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Monday January 15 2018, @07:31PM
I was thinking the same thing, apparently this isn't about that. It's about the flappy flatfish with the nasty barbs at the base of their tail that the cell traffic interceptors are named after.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 15 2018, @07:48PM
Yes, I was wondering what the FBI had come up with now.
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Monday January 15 2018, @08:31PM (1 child)
A stingray of these killed Steve Irwin. Should we be building more powerful ones?? The man wrestled with crocodiles for TV!
(Sorry I just didn't want the previous comment to be the only one.)
(Score: 3, Funny) by takyon on Monday January 15 2018, @09:42PM
crikey.ai
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