Successfully built a 'live' robot from an African frog cell

US scientists have created the first living robot by grafting cells of African clawed frogs into small robots.

The most successfully implanted robot has two legs, while others have four feet below the abdomen. These pins are responsible for pushing the robot forward, according to the Guardian.

"These are completely new life forms. They have never existed on Earth. They are living and programmable creatures , " said Michael Levin, director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University in Medford. , Massachusetts, said.

A four-legged robot made of African frog cells.(Photo: Douglas Blackiston).

The robots, which are less than 1 mm long, are designed by an "evolutionary algorithm" that runs on supercomputers.

First, the 3D configuration is randomly generated from 500-1,000 skin and heart cells. Each design is then tested in a virtual environment to select the best models. Because the heart cells automatically contract, they act as miniature motors that control robots. Powered by stored energy, these cells can survive for about a week to 10 days before dying.

Robots are usually made of metal and plastic, which are durable materials. However, Levin and his colleagues argue that making robots from biological tissue could bring many benefits. When damaged, living robots can heal their wounds, and once completed the task, they decompose like natural creatures.

The scientists say these unique features can be used to clean the ocean, locate and digest toxic substances, inject drugs into the body or remove plaque from artery walls.

"It is not known how this new technology could be applied, so we can only guess," said Josh It Bongard, senior research fellow at the University of Vermont .