The world's first 'thinking' robot developed from brain cells

A team of Japanese scientists have built a robot with brain-like neurons to teach it how to think like a human.

Experts at the University of Tokyo have grown nerve cells from living cells in the laboratory, and when they are stimulated with an electric current, the machine can successfully navigate inside a small maze.

The robot is placed on a plane with obstacles and moves towards the target.

The team uses a technique known as 'matter reservoir computing' that allows the robot to activate a 'storehouse' of information that helps it understand and solve problems.

Professor Hirokazu Takahashi - study co-author - said: 'Nerve cells are developed from living cells. They act as a material reservoir for the computer to construct clear signals'.

This is the first time that scientists have let artificial intelligence "teach" a robot. If the AI ​​machine goes in the wrong direction, the neurons cultured inside it will be discharged. In the test series, the robot continuously received instructions until the task was completed. 

The circular machine built by Mr. Takahashi's team is about 8cm in diameter and 5cm high, and fits in the palm of your hand. The professor says the work is proof-of-concept that brain tissue can be used as a reservoir for matter. Thereby, opening the door to develop machines capable of solving problems by thinking like humans.

The Japanese team hopes this breakthrough will lead to the birth of a supercomputer that simulates the human brain. It also offers hope for unraveling how the brain works and why diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's happen.