Sinister, brain-controlling mushrooms are a staple in sci-fi shows and literature. While brainwashed humans doing the bidding of fungi remains fantasy, researchers have now learned how to control a robot's movement using electrical signals produced by the mycelium of the common King oyster mushroom. This part machine, part fungus robot could one day serve as a building block for more advanced "biohybrid" chimeras that can remotely analyze agricultural fields for potentially harmful changes in soil chemistry. Researchers from Cornell University and University of Florence in Italy wanted to see if electrical signals pulsing through the mycelium of fungi could be translated into a controlling input for robots. The findings were published last month in the journal Science Robotics.

Fox News Flash top headlines for Sept. 17 are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com Researchers have developed soft robotic devices that are driven by neuromuscular tissue that gets triggered when stimulated by light. Their work, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, brings the field of mechanical engineering one step closer to creating autonomous biobots. The researchers were able to demonstrate a new generation of two-tailed bots powered by skeletal muscle tissue that's been stimulated by on-board motor neurons.

Researchers have developed a way to integrate living muscle into machines to create a biohybrid robot. Reported in the journal Science Robotics, the study was undertaken at the University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science and demonstrates how the researchers developed the use of living tissue within robots, rather than just metal and plastic. Scientists are working on a project that sounds like they're creating a cyborg The new method progresses from individual muscle precursor cells, to muscle-cell-filled sheets, and then to fully functioning skeletal muscle tissues. They were able to incorporate these muscles into a biohybrid robot as antagonistic pairs mimicking those in the body to achieve remarkable robot movement and continued muscle function for over a week. To develop the muscle-powered robots, the team first constructed a robot skeleton on which to install the pair of functioning muscles.

As if the line between human and machine wasn't already blurry enough, researchers in Tokyo have developed a new method for using living rat muscle tissue in robotics. The "biohybrid" design, described today in the journal Science Robotics, simulates the look and movements of a human finger. Video shows how it bends at the joint, picks up a loop, and places it down. It's a seemingly simple movement but one that researchers say lays the groundwork for more advanced--and even more lifelike--robots. "If we can combine more of these muscles into a single device, we should be able to reproduce the complex muscular interplay that allows hands, arms, and other parts of the body to function," says study author Shoji Takeuchi, a mechanical engineer at the University of Tokyo. "Although this is just a preliminary result, our approach might be a great step toward the construction of a more complex biohybrid system."

Tiny robots could soon be delivering life-saving treatments to hard-to-reach parts of the body, according to a new study. Researchers have developed a swarm of tiny'biohybrid' machines measuring a few millionths of a metre long - about the size of a red blood cell. During initial tests, the robots were guided magnetically to sites in the stomach of rats, where they killed cancerous tumours while leaving healthy cells unharmed. The researchers hope the same technique could be used in humans to deliver drugs to remote areas. Researchers have developed a swarm of tiny'biohybrid' machines measuring a few millionths of a metre long - about the size of a red blood cell The team developed the micro-robots by coating a microscopic algae called Spirulina platensis with non-harmful, biocompatible magnetic particles.

They chose sea slugs for this project, because the animals are known for being able to withstand sudden and substantial changes in temperature and salinity. Since the marine invertebrates are tough and can adapt to different conditions, the resulting robots are just as durable and can also operate in harsh environments. A biohybrid robot can be more capable, perform more tasks and be cheaper to make than purely manmade ones. Someday, organizations could deploy swarms of robots like this to, say, locate the source of toxic leaks or to scour the ocean for a plane's black box. The team has a lot to do before their creation's capable of those tasks, though, such as finding a way to make the slug machine go just a wee bit faster -- their 2-inch robot can only move at a rate of 0.4 centimeters per minute.

Kevin Kit Parker wants to build a human heart. His young daughter loves the New England Aquarium in Boston. Now father's and daughter's obsessions have combined in an unlikely creation: a nickel-sized artificial stingray whose swimming is guided by light and powered by rat heart muscle cells. Incorporating advances in engineering, cell culture, genetics, and biomechanics, the "living" robot brings Parker's dream of a humanmade human heart a step closer. The stingray represents a step up from his previous effort, a robotic jellyfish, as the new robot can be maneuvered around obstacle courses with beams of light.