Hybrid Robot Uses Rat Brain

CowboyRobot writes "After two recent stories of artificial brains used to control rats and one about MIT doing the reverse, NYTimes now has a piece on similar work done at Georgia Tech From the article: "...the layer of rat neurons is grown over an array of electrodes that pick up the neurons' electrical activity. A computer analyzes the activity of the several thousand brain cells in real time to detect spikes produced by neurons firing near an electrode." But this time you can buy one for $3,000."

Hmmm...

[CommieLib]

I thought this was a story about Al Gore.

Until the /. effect happens

[gatesh8r]

Then you'd have a stroke, be knocked offline, and if you're lucky you'd be back surfing as Windows XP Home.

Put the rat in the iron!

[showmeshowyoukikoman]

I think rats can resist extreme heat. What about using this rat brain to control the blob of iron we are sending to the middle of the earth? That was an interesting headline to be sure. As is this one.

Who knew they were transplanting rat brains into aibo robot dogs!

Back in the day, we used to talk about robots. But for us, it was always a frightening thing. Then saturday night live did a commercial about robots stealing our medicine! Believe you me, THAT had me scared for a while! I know it was satire, but it's not hard to imagine robots living off the powerful medicines we old people use!

Revenge of the Lab Rats

[Coelacanth]

Not that this isn't cool and all, but:

I don't want to be around when this thing becomes aware enough to take retribution for countless generations of lab rat torture! Someone will stumble into the lab and find a scientist's brain wired into a speak-n-spell, with a rat-bot-shaped hole in the wall and a trail of cheese crumbs...

Obligatory Penny Arcade

[Metallic Matty]

"Here's another one: 'More brains, and bring back Hawaiian Fridays'"

http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2002-05 -03&res=l [penny-arcade.com]

how soon...

[Anonymous Coward]

until it can be a slashdot moderator?

I think it'd be perfect (aka simple minded).

Obvious Matrix comment

[Anonymous Coward]

Whoa! I know Rat-Fu.

NyTimes, Eh

[moosesocks]

Seems fitting that NYTimes ran a story on this. How long before we start to see these things in NYC subway tunnels?

Ratbrain enterprise edition!

[N2H4]

I will wait until i can purchase a ratbrain pci card before I jump on the bandwagon. Imagine the image recognition possibilites :)

Strong Sad

[Luigi30]

"And then the old man's kids came. The robot remembered them and began to cry. But the tears short circuited the robot and he died and fell onto the kids. And none of them lived..." Hope that doesn't happen!

Re:karma whore

[joelil]

Orkin in Very Intrested..... Just think program 3 rats to invade a house. and then just wait for the phone call to get rid of the rats get paid and have the rats move next door.....

I hope

[Anonymous Coward]

They are only using female rats for this experiment. If they use male rats the report would probably look something like

Monday morning
Robot tried too shag other robots

Monday afternoon
Robot refused to move from candy vending machine

Monday evening
Robot tried too shag other robots

Tuesday morning
Robot tried too shag other robots ....

Re:Human brains

[Planesdragon]

How long before they turn us all into remote control human drones?

Who are "they", and why would they bother spending the money on remote-control when they can just lawsuit- and reality-TV- us into submission?

Robot & the Brain

[Anonymous Coward]

Robot : "Gee, Brain what do you want to do tonight?"
Brain : "The same thing we do every night Pinky. Follow that stupid light around!"

Re:Ratbrain enterprise edition!

[Timesprout]

Yeah but what happens if you get a stupid rat ?

Re:Ratbrain enterprise edition!

[slimey_limey]

Yes!! Sell it in a box with an ethernet connector, and call it a "holographic-storage fileserver"! Stores terabytes of data, serches instantly, only neds 0.25 watts of power! Thrives on your excess data-center heat!

Re:This is odd

[GriffX]

Plus, the mice own the Earth. Best not to mess with them, right?

Re:I'm going to get flamed, but

[Muhammar]

As a scientist, I regret that you are not my animal.

The implications of this technology

[InterruptDescriptorT]

At least we'll never run out of politicians now. :-)

Re:Experimenting on animals...

[Anonymous Coward]

How true! It's far better to experiment on humans! In fact, I'm volunteering you to be the first to have their brain wired to a robot!

Re:This is odd

[IamLarryboy]

Since when does having a better chance at being selected for a science experiment that will probably kill you count as an "advantage?"

Re:Artificial retina

[.com b4 .storm]

The only word I understood in that whole thing was "sandwich." :) Mmmm Subway...

In the words of Captain Picard

[Tuxinatorium]

They invade our kitchens, and we fall back. They steal entire cheeses, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, and no farther. And I will make the mice-borg pay for what they have done!

What do Roborats eat?

[flumps]

...Beowulf clusters of cheese :)

Re:Correction

[Anonymous Coward]

a coupla thousand geeks playing with biological-electronic hybrids could do more than a bunch of researchers at a single university or two.

-=[HAXX0R]=-: look dood, my rat runz lunix!
******L4M3RZ: w00t
-=[HAXX0R]=-: oh it died

Re:karma whore

[Ratphace]

Guess this will bring an all new meaning to the phrase:
"Behold! The power of cheese." :)

Re:Correction

[Alsee]

doesn't include the cybernetic rat brain.

You could always use a couple of thousand of your own brain cells :)

-

Re:I hope

[Alsee]

And if they use female rats the report would probably look something like

Monday morning
Robot behaved in a random and irrational manner

Monday afternoon
Robot behaved in a random and irrational manner

Monday evening
Robot behaved in a random and irrational manner

Tuesday morning
Robot behaved in a random and irrational manner

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