Mushrooms help robots “sense and respond” to new environments

Growing mycelium from mushrooms into a robot’s system might help it feel and adapt.

With growing interest in mushrooms' benefits for the human body, it appears that the non-living world can also reap advantages from them.

Researchers at Cornell University have developed an unexpected component for robots: fungal mycelia. A mycelium is a network of fungal threads that grows underground or thrives in other places, such as rotting tree trunks.

Scientific findings show that fungi constantly sense, learn, and make decisions as they grow. A stream of chemicals, nutrients, and electrical impulses flows between the cells of each mycelium, keeping the entire network informed and coordinating actions.

Most biohybrid robots rely on animal or plant cells, which require specific cultivation methods and have short lifespans. In contrast, fungi are easy to culture and can thrive in harsh environments.

Cornell University researchers found a new way to control "biohybrid" robots, which could respond to their environment more effectively than fully synthetic robots, by using the natural electrical signals of mycelia.

The lead researcher, Anand Mishra, believes that harnessing the fungal kingdom can enhance a robot's ability to sense its environment and respond, contributing to greater autonomy.

First steps: making a robot walk

Scientists used fungal mycelia's natural light sensitivity to create an electrical interface that houses the mycelia and measures their electrical activity. They then designed a control model to harness the rhythmic voltage spikes from the mycelia.

During the experiment, scientists built two biohybrid robots: a soft robot shaped like a starfish and a wheeled bot. The robots underwent three experiments. In the first, they walked and rolled in response to the natural, continuous spikes in the mycelium's signals.

Next, when the researchers exposed the robots to ultraviolet light, they altered their gaits, showcasing the mycelium's capacity to respond to environmental stimuli.

Finally, in the third experiment, the researchers successfully overrode the mycelium's native signals entirely.

Opening the door to biorobot autonomy

Scientists envision that their findings will contribute to the development of biorobots. Using the technology, robots in the future could sense soil chemistry in row crops and determine when to add fertilizer, potentially reducing agricultural issues like harmful algal blooms.

According to Mishra, living systems can respond to touch, light, and heat and respond to “even some unknowns, like signals."

"If you wanted to build future robots, how can they work in an unexpected environment? We can leverage these living systems, and any unknown input comes in, the robot will respond to that," concludes Mishra.

The findings were published in Science Robotics.