Combining biology and machines in bio-hybrid creatures; does any of this sound familiar?
THE MIL & AERO COMMENTARY – Pentagon researchers are giving substantial attention these days to combining biology and computers in efforts to create hybrid technology able simultaneously to sense, reason, upgrade automatically, and repair themselves when necessary.
These qualities are part of at least two notable projects announced since December that seek not only to control biological functions using microsystems and molecular catalysts, but also to integrate synthetic and biological components for bio-hybrid cybernetic creatures able to outperform traditional robots.
I'm not big into science fiction, but does any of that sound familiar?
The projects involved are the Microsystem Induced Catalysis (MICA), and the Hybridizing Biology and Robotics through Integration for Deployable Systems (HyBRIDS) programs.
Microsystems and biology
MICA focuses on using microsystems to control biological functions, and will seek hardware demonstrations of molecular catalysts immobilized to microsystem surfaces and controlled by physical forces generated by the microsystem. Additionally, the program focuses on modeling and simulation of such integrated molecular microsystems, with an emphasis on biomolecular catalysts.
MICA centers on how microsystems could control molecules; how microsystem physics can drive catalyst function; and how co-design approaches can integrate microsystems and molecules.
Related: What is the real value of autonomous manufacturing robots?
The MICA program's design and simulation portion will include ways to predict the dynamic performance of molecules integrated with microsystems. The project's fabrication portion will include ways to place and immobilize molecules at microsystem interfaces to help the microsystem control catalyst activity.
A major thrust is placing and attaching catalytic molecules to microsystems to drive biological function. The program will emphasize compatibility with standard microelectronics manufacturing. Approaches should include how to predict molecule structure and function, and how to couple to a field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and CMOS digital logic circuits.
Precise control
HyBRIDS, meanwhile, seeks to combine living organisms and synthetic materials to create biorobots that compared to traditional robots can offer adaptability, self-healing, and energy efficiency. Bio-hybrid robots aim to capitalize on the precise control of traditional engineered robotic parts while harnessing the capabilities of biological elements. Integrating biological components like cells, tissues, or organisms could extend the functionality of robots, DARPA researchers say.
A bio-hybrid robot is defined as a scaffold equipped with actuators, sensors, and control mechanisms that enable it to interact with its surroundings in an autonomous or semi-autonomous fashion, achieved by merging functional, engineered components with biological materials and components.
Nature provides inspiration to advance robotic technologies, but the performance of biological systems remains largely unmatched even as robotic systems become increasingly sophisticated. Key technical challenges of HyBRIDS ARC include biological component integration into robots; design methods for integrating biological and synthetic materials; approaches to characterize interfaces.
Improved computer-aided approaches are necessary to represent, analyze, and predict the relationships between system- and component-level properties and performance.
Sound like the Borg?
So, what's the first thing that comes to mind when scientists start talking about combining biological organisms and machines? I can't help it, but that sounds like the Borg to me. The Borg are fictional cybernetic organisms from the Star Trek franchise of science fiction.
Inhabiting a Borg's body are cybernetic implants to enhance biological functions, sensing, and reasoning, as well as microscopic machines called nanoprobes flowing throughout their blood streams. These nanoprobes maintain the Borg cybernetic systems and repair damage to the Borg's organic components. What was that about the DARPA MICA and HyBRIDS project emphases on self-repair and self-healing?
Now obviously there's nothing in the MICA or HyBRIDS projects that even hints of assimilating other species. There's nothing sinister in these programs stated or even implied; they're talking about combining the best in biological beings and computer technology. Still, it's enough to stir the imagination.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
