A technological and biological development unprecedented in Israel and the world has been achieved at Tel Aviv University. For the first time, a dead grasshopper’s ear is connected to a robot that receives the electrical signals from the ear and responds accordingly. The result is extraordinary: once the researchers clap, the grasshopper’s ear hears the sound and the robot moves forward; if the researchers clap twice, the robot will deteriorate.
The interdisciplinary study was led by Idan Fishel, a joint master’s student under the joint supervision of Dr. Ben M. Maoz from the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Prof. Yossi Yovel and Prof. experts from the School of Zoology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience along with -, Dr. Anton Sheinin, Idan, Yoni Amit and Neta Shavil. The results of the research have been published in the prestigious journal Sensors
The researchers explain that at the start of the study, they tried to explore how the benefits of biological systems could be integrated into technological systems, and how dead grasshopper’s senses could be used as sensors for a robot. “We chose hearing because it can be easily compared to existing technologies, as opposed to, for example, the sense of smell, where the challenge is much greater,” says Dr. Maoz. “ Our job was to replace the robot’s electronic microphone with a dead insect’s ear, use the ear’s ability to sense the electrical signals from the environment, in this case vibrations in the air, and, with Using a special chip, to convert the insect input from the robot. “
To carry out this unique and unconventional task, the interdisciplinary team (Maoz, Yovel and Ayali) had to deal with a number of challenged. In the first phase, the researchers built a robot that can respond to signals it receives from the environment. Then, in a multidisciplinary collaboration, the researchers were able to isolate and characterize the dead locust ear and keep it alive, that is, functionally, long enough to successfully connect it to the robot. In the final phase, the researchers were able to find a way to pick up the signals from the grasshopper’s ear in a way that could be used by the robot. At the end of the process, the robot could “hear” the sounds and respond accordingly.
“Prof. Ayali’s laboratory has extensive experience working with locusts, and they have developed the skills to isolate and characterize the ear,” explains Dr. Maoz explains. “Prof. Yovel’s lab built the robot and developed code that allows the robot to respond to electrical auditory signals. And my lab developed a special device – Ear-on-a-Chip – that allows the ear to live during the experiment. by supplying oxygen and food to the organ, while the electrical signals can be extracted from the grasshopper’s ear and amplified and sent to the robot.
In general, biological systems have a huge advantage over technological systems – both in terms of sensitivity and in terms of energy consumption. This initiative by researchers at Tel Aviv University opens the door to sensory integrations between robots and insects – and can much more cumbersome and expensive developments in the field of robotics unnecessary.
“It should be understood that biological systems use negligible energy compared to electronic systems. They are miniature, and therefore extremely economical and efficient. In comparison, a laptop consumes about 100 watts per hour, while the human brain consumes about 20 watts. watts per day. Nature is much more advanced than we are, so we should use it. The principle we have demonstrated can be used and applied to other senses such as smell, sight and touch. For example, some animals have amazing abilities to release explosives. or detect drugs, the creation of a robot with a biological nose can help us preserve human lives and identify criminals in a way that is not possible today. Some animals know how to detect disease. Others can sense earthquakes. The sky is the limit. ”
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