We can now manufacture biorobots from scratch.
You have heard of genetic engineering as the underpinning for new plants and animals. Researchers can now build tiny biological robots cell by cell instead. They used two different types of stem cell. These in turn divide and morph into the various cellular components of the biorobot. So, for example, heart-muscle cells in the biorobot can rhythmically expand and contract. This has the effect of pushing the biorobot along a surface. Rather appropriately, they used a type of machine learning, the evolutionary algorithm, to help design the biorobot. Tasks performed by the ensuing biorobot included pushing pellets around, so not yet terribly useful. But it’s an impressive start, not least because the little biorobots are autonomous. They now need certain refinements such as a digestion system. That would mean that they do not die off within days of being created. Another, more controversial refinement would be that of adding a reproductive capability. That would make the manufacturing process a lot simpler.
Link to article: https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/01/16/a-research-team-builds-robots-from-living-cells
You may also like to browse other evolution posts: https://www.thesentientrobot.com/category/evolution/
