 |
Crustaceans Help Build NASA's Exploration Skills
Crayfish are good explorers, according to Professor David Macmillan of the University of Melbourne, Australia. They use their antennae to orient themselves. They use chemosensory receptors placed all over their bodies to detect chemicals in the water that indicate food, mates and predators.
That's why they are helping NASA with space exploration.
(From Crayfish Navigate bubblewrap for science)
According to Macmillan, crayfish can perform sophisticated analyses on a space before they even enter it; he has worked with NASA scientists developing robots to give them pointers on how crayfish use their tails. They (crayfish) can easily distinguish between different surfaces, like bubblewrap versus sandpaper. Their great sense of touch sets yet another example for NASA biomimetic explorer robots, which have already benefited from Macmillan's previous studies of crayfish tails.
"Invertebrates such as insects and crustaceans achieve similar movement and sensory outcomes to humans. For example, finding food and selection of appropriate mates and nesting sites. Where humans use millions of neurons to achieve such outcomes, invertebrates do it with thousands. Where humans use hundreds, invertebrates may use as few as six," he says."It is this parsimony, that ability to control complex behaviours with an amazingly small amount of brain power that attracts scientists from disciplines including robotics engineering, computer programming, biology, mathematics and neurology."
(From Univ. Melbourne)
It turns out the science fiction writer Charles Stross thought that crustaceans could help human beings figure things out and explore. In his novel Accelerando, he writes about it:
"Are you the same KGB AI that phoned me yesterday?"
"Da. However, you misconceptionalized me...
"You're the .. Moscow Windows NT User Group? Okhni NT?"
"Da. Am needing help in defecting."
"Why do you want to defect... ideological or strictly economic?"
"Neither - is biological. Am wanting to go away from humans, away from light cone of impending singularity. Take us to the ocean..."
"Let me get this straight. You're uploads - nervous system state vectors - from spiny lobsters? The Moravec operation: take a neuron, map its synapses, replace with microelectrodes that deliver identical outpus from a simulation of the nerve. Repeat for entire brain, until you've got a working map of it in your simulator. That right?"
(Read more about lobster AIs)
Story from here, more from earlier story there. Thanks to alert reader RandomAction for the tip and book on this story.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/29/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 1 )
Related News Stories - (" Space Tech ")
'Significant Amount' Of Lunar Water Found
Lunar ice mining might actually come true, droogs, let's hope Authority buys ice at right price.
Escape Pods, Refuge Of ISS Astronauts From Space Junk
Who first thought of the idea of an escape pod? I looked pretty hard, but more research is probably needed.
Is This A 'Skylight' Leading To A Lunar Cave?
Could this deep hole be an entrance to a lunar cave or lava tube? If so, it could point the way to a perfect location for permanent habitation on the Moon.
Regolith Excavation Challenge Yields Prize Money
Updated! Someone finally took some NASA prize money home in this remote lunar digging competition.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Current News
AirRobot Micro-UAV 'Fairies' In Shakespeare Play
At least they were not the 'rude mechanicals'.
Paralysis Ray Uses Photocontrolled Molecular Switch
Gerry was dubious. She had seen abortive attempts at paralysis rays before.
Brine Wells May Swallow Towns
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the Quadraturin essence in 1 cup of water.
Will In-Vitro Meat Change Our Lives?
ChickieNobs, anyone?
Walky iPhone Finger Gesture Robot Controller
Let your fingers - uh - your robot do the walking. And hopping.
OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown Foils Carjacker
Better than a car chase.
Robot Martial Arts Videos
Robo-Shiko!
Interactive TV Patent From Sony
Can you dance faster than the White Clown?
Smart Contact Lens With Power Harvesting Circuits
Smart contacts with VR connections.
'Significant Amount' Of Lunar Water Found
Droogs! There's water ice on the moon!
FOXP2 Tweak Yields Planet Of The Apes?
Get your filthy words off me, you damn dirty ape!
Lev, Theremin-Playing Robot
Patsy Cline classic played by robot.
XT-1 Micro Mouse With Blazing Speed
These are fully autonomouse robots.
Escape Pods, Refuge Of ISS Astronauts From Space Junk
Who first thought about escape pods?
Steerable Bowling Ball Is A Cheesy Spherical Robot
Once the province of geeks, now in bowling alleys.
Bio-Mechanics And Micro-Robotic Flight
Micro air vehicles and insect flight.
