Biological Robots
These are not officially a neurorobot in that they are not neurologically inspired AI systems, but actual neuron tissue wired to a robot. This employs the use of cultured neural networks to study brain development or neural interactions. These typically consist of a neural culture raised on a multielectrode array (MEA), which is capable of both recording the neural activity and stimulating the tissue. In some cases, the MEA is connected to a computer which presents a simulated environment to the brain tissue and translates brain activity into actions in the simulation, as well as providing sensory feedback. The ability to record neural activity gives researchers a window into a brain, albeit simple, which they can use to learn about a number of the same issues neurorobots are used for.
An area of concern with the biological robots is ethics. Many questions are raised about how to treat such experiments. Seemingly the most important question is that of consciousness and whether or not the rat brain experiences it. This discussion boils down to the many theories of what consciousness is.
See Hybrot, consciousness.
Read more about this topic: Neurorobotics
Famous quotes containing the words biological and/or robots:
“Although there is no universal agreement as to a definition of life, its biological manifestations are generally considered to be organization, metabolism, growth, irritability, adaptation, and reproduction.”
—The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, the first sentence of the article on “life” (based on wording in the First Edition, 1935)
“The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots. True enough, robots do not rebel. But given man’s nature, robots cannot live and remain sane, they become “Golems,” they will destroy their world and themselves because they cannot stand any longer the boredom of a meaningless life.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)