Robo-Fungi Challenge: Engineering Life into Machines

Imagine if mushrooms could control robots! Scientists at Cornell University made this happen by using a type of mushroom called the king oyster to control robots. They used part of the mushroom called mycelium, which is like the root system of a mushroom. Mycelium sends signals that the robot can understand, making it move. This research shows how living things can work together with machines, and it could change areas like farming, environmental protection, or even medicine. Read the full article here.

Your Task: Using the idea of mushrooms controlling robots as inspiration, design or describe your own biohybrid machine. Pick any living thing and think about what kind of machine it could control. Consider what job this machine would do and how it could help in the real world. Consider the benefits, such as helping the environment, and the challenges it might face, like maintaining the machine or addressing ethical concerns. Summarize your ideas and describe a situation where your design could be used.