Scientists have created a half-robotic jellyfish

Jellyfish usually swim about 1.2 m / min, but in the experiment, cyborg jellyfish nearly tripled. The electrical impulses make the jellyfish's pulse beat faster, thereby increasing the swimming speed.

Scientists in California have created what appears to exist only in Hollywood movies: jellyfish cyborg . Strange creatures half jellyfish, half jellyfish can swim almost three times faster than regular jellyfish.

Engineers at Stanford University and Caltech say the jellyfish helps people expand their understanding of deep sea areas. But these biological robots also put a lot of questions about technology ethics in addition to their potential.

'We try to take full advantage of the natural biological properties and incorporate the best we can create,' ' says John Dabiri, senior professor of aviation and mechanical engineering at Caltech University. know.

Jellyfish are primitive invertebrates, almost unchanged in the last 500 million years.(Photo: Getty).

"Jellyfish are primitive invertebrates, which have hardly changed in the last 500 million years. They have no brains, lungs or central nervous system. In particular, they have not been harmed during the experiment." at Stanford, " said Professor Dabiri.

Dabiri and his colleagues created a coin-sized device that contained a microchip and a small battery. Using a barbed stick, the device attaches the device to the underside of the moon jellyfish body. Then, small currents of electricity flow from the device to the electrodes on the jellyfish muscle.

Jellyfish usually swim about 1.2 m / min, but in the experiment, cyborg jellyfish nearly tripled. The electrical impulses make the jellyfish's pulse beat faster, thereby increasing the swimming speed. Animals often release mucus when stressed. This does not occur in experiments, nor is there any harm to the test object when the device is removed.

Compared to swimming robots, cyborg jellyfish is 1,000 times more effective.'This shows that the jellyfish possesses many abilities to swim faster and more efficiently than we have yet to exploit , ' Dabiri said. The underlying cause is thought to be because they have no reason to swim so fast.

The device is a coin-sized microchip that is worn for jellyfish.(Photo: Caltech).

Dabiri also noted that running a scientific research ship at sea for a day could cost about US $ 20,000 or more.

If scientists continue to refine the jellyfish control device to collect data such as water temperature, salinity, pH and some other data, we can easily explore the deep ocean. pollution and climate change.

For decades, researchers have placed tracking devices on large animals in the ocean. Some scientists at Stanford University have attached miniature cameras and tachometers to the giant bluefin tuna in the Atlantic to learn how they move in the water. They placed electronic sensors on large white sharks, sea turtles and other marine animals to track their movements and habits.

The process of combining electronics into living tissue to change the way animals move us to new limits.

The cyborg jellyfish opens up great potential for the creation of other mechanical creatures.(Photo: Caltech).

In 2018, several scientists at the University of Tokyo took muscle cells from mice to cultivate. They then inserted these muscle cells into a robotic finger frame. As a result, when stimulated by electricity, these muscles can contract and expand like a human finger.

In the future, more likely artificial technology is used to replace parts such as fingers, arms, legs or paralyzed. More impressively, future micro-robots could be implanted into humans to destroy cancerous tumors or monitor cardiovascular disease.

Regarding the cyborg jellyfish, scientists think it is worth considering if the artificial effects promoting rapid swimming can affect development and reproduction. Ethical issues should be given top priority throughout the research process.

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