Biohybrid technology: symbiosis of organisms and robots

S.Kernbach(1), O.Kernbach(1), S.N.Maslobrod(2)

(1)

Cybertronica Research, Research Center of Advanced Robotics and Environmental Science,

Melunerstr. 40, 70569 Stuttgart, serge.kernbach@cybertronica.de.com
(2)
The Institute of Genetic and Plant Physiology and Plant Protection Academy of Sciences
of Moldova, Pedurij, 20, Kishinev, MD-2002, Moldova, maslobrod37@mail.ru

Technological and biological systems have their own application fields and challenges. These systems
interact with each other only in a few disciplines such as bionics, where biological principles are
transferred to engineering design, or in production machinery in agriculture, livestock farming or
biotechnology.
Biohybrid system represents a combination of closely interacting biological and technological
elements. It can be considered to some extent as a symbiosis between living organisms and
programmable autonomous robots. There are several goals targeted by biohybrids. One of them is to
provide adaptability, plasticity and self-healing properties for such systems. They often utilize
evolutionary processes for self-development of artificial objects, which even involve new principles of
the so-called "programmable" or "targeted" evolution. In addition, integrating plants and animals into
existing engineering or IT infrastructure allows balancing a coexistence of fast-growing human and
natural ecosystems. Thereby a sustainability of natural ecosystems is emphasized. An interesting
consequence of this technology is, for example, an information interaction between different species,
which is not possible in natural environment. Controlling the robot from biological part is also an
important topic, appearing in medical autonomous prostheses or human-robot interfaces. Many kinds
of microorganisms and plants are superior in sensing environmental, pathogenic or unconventional
impact factors. Such biohybrids, denoted as smart biosensors or phytosensors, are used in traditional
technological devices and systems.
Integration of robots and living organisms looks different on micro- and macroscales. For
example, the microsystems of size 50-150m integrate the CMOS functional substrate with simple
chemical systems - so-called chemo-hybrids. Technological part controls the liquid environment,
hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of surfaces, electrostatic interactions; bio-/chemo- part relates
these elements into a multicellular hybrid organism. The macroscopic integration of robotic elements
in plant and animal populations is also different. Plants are usually integrated directly with robots,
whereas behavioral interactions occur between animals and robots.
The European Commission has initiated a series of projects related to biohybrid systems.
Leading European institutions, combined in consortia within FP7 and H2020 programs, investigate
different aspects of biohybrid. For example, the projects ANGELS and CoCoRo explored underwater
weak bioelectric field, develop and integrate generators/sensors in underwater robots and studied the
interaction of these robots and electric fish. Among others, a subsymbolic communication between
animals and a possible robot-animal interaction in underwater ecosystems were the focus of research.
The projects EvoBody and Symbrion coordinated European activities in the field of artificial evolution
of multicellular systems, in particular, on the level between chemo- and bio- hybrids. The project
ASSISI|bf explores robot-animal interactions in populations of collective animals such as bees and
fish, and control a communication with/between these populations. The project Flora Robotica applies
this principle to plant systems, where the symbiosis between plant organisms and technological
systems should be reached. For instance, the robots control the light, liquid, EM and other conditions
for the plants. Plants perform carrier, sensing functionalities and provides energy to robots. These plant
biohybrids are intended to be utilized in a new generation of architectural systems and other artificial
objects embedded in human environment.
In line with the project Flora Robotica we collect experimental material for possible use of
biohybrid system vegetable object robot in phytosensing/phytoactuating purposes especially for
telecommunication and remote control. The idea of this control is based on the discovered effect of
non-electromagnetic interactions between plant organisms. The experiments are performed with such
biological objects as seeds, seedlings and pollen, and sensitive fluidic measurement systems.