Ratbots
http://www.wireheading.com/roborats/index.html
Guided rats - so-called ratbots - controlled through implants in their brains could one day be used to search for
landmines or buried victims of earthquakes, scientists say.
The extraordinary experiment involves researchers steering five rats through an obstacle course by remote control.
Writing in the journal Nature, they say the ratbots could reach places inaccessible to humans or machines.
The researchers are led by Dr Sanjiv Talwar of the State University of New York.
Commands and rewards
Electrodes were implanted into areas of the rat brain responsible for sensing reward as well as those that process
signals from their whiskers.
The commands and rewards were transmitted by radio from a laptop computer to a backpack receiver strapped to
each rat.
The scientists were able to make the rats run, turn, jump and climb where they wanted from distances of up to 500
metres (1640 feet) away.
The ratbots negotiated an obstacle course which involved climbing a vertical ladder, running along a narrow ledge,
hopping down a flight of steps, squeezing through a hoop and descending a steep ramp.
The scientists say, "Our rats were easily guided through pipes and across elevated runways and ledges, and could
be instructed to climb, or jump from, any surface that offered sufficient purchase.
"We were also able to guide rats in systematically exploring large, collapsed piles of concrete rubble and to direct
them through environments that they would normally avoid, such as brightly lit, open arenas."
Inorganic Version
Consider the inorganic version of such a rat. The following is a bit larger, but perhaps more easily controlled.
The VTS Camera car is a remote controlled toy racing car that has a camera in the driver's seat. The camera in the
driver's seat transmits images to you so you can see everything the car sees. The camera also moves left and right,
up and down so you can look around while doing your remote viewing. Headset consists of a visor that has
motion sensors so that when you move your head up and down, left and right, the camera in the car follows your
movements.
Not bad for a toy. Costs about $1000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbngw8q8JLc&eurl=http://www.robotsrule.com/best-selling-toys/best-selling-t
oys.php&feature=player_embedded
don
http://www.wireheading.com/roborats/index.html
Guided rats - so-called ratbots - controlled through implants in their brains could one day be used to search for
landmines or buried victims of earthquakes, scientists say.
The extraordinary experiment involves researchers steering five rats through an obstacle course by remote control.
Writing in the journal Nature, they say the ratbots could reach places inaccessible to humans or machines.
The researchers are led by Dr Sanjiv Talwar of the State University of New York.
Commands and rewards
Electrodes were implanted into areas of the rat brain responsible for sensing reward as well as those that process
signals from their whiskers.
The commands and rewards were transmitted by radio from a laptop computer to a backpack receiver strapped to
each rat.
The scientists were able to make the rats run, turn, jump and climb where they wanted from distances of up to 500
metres (1640 feet) away.
The ratbots negotiated an obstacle course which involved climbing a vertical ladder, running along a narrow ledge,
hopping down a flight of steps, squeezing through a hoop and descending a steep ramp.
The scientists say, "Our rats were easily guided through pipes and across elevated runways and ledges, and could
be instructed to climb, or jump from, any surface that offered sufficient purchase.
"We were also able to guide rats in systematically exploring large, collapsed piles of concrete rubble and to direct
them through environments that they would normally avoid, such as brightly lit, open arenas."
Inorganic Version
Consider the inorganic version of such a rat. The following is a bit larger, but perhaps more easily controlled.
The VTS Camera car is a remote controlled toy racing car that has a camera in the driver's seat. The camera in the
driver's seat transmits images to you so you can see everything the car sees. The camera also moves left and right,
up and down so you can look around while doing your remote viewing. Headset consists of a visor that has
motion sensors so that when you move your head up and down, left and right, the camera in the car follows your
movements.
Not bad for a toy. Costs about $1000
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbngw8q8JLc&eurl=http://www.robotsrule.com/best-selling-toys/best-selling-t
oys.php&feature=player_embedded
don
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