Freshwater organisms potentially useful as biosensors and power-generation mediators in biohybrid robotics

Abstract

Facing the threat of rapidly worsening water quality, there is an urgent need to develop novel approaches of monitoring its global supplies and early detection of environmental fluctuations. Global warming, urban growth and other factors have threatened not only the freshwater supply but also the well-being of many species inhabiting it. Traditionally, laboratory-based studies can be both time and money consuming and so, the development of a real-time, continuous monitoring method has proven necessary. The use of autonomous, self-actualizing entities became an efficient way of monitoring the environment. The Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC) will be investigated as an alternative energy source to allow for these entities to self-actualize. This concept has been improved with the use of various lifeforms in the role of biosensors in a structure called ”biohybrid” which we aim to develop further within the framework of project Robocoenosis relying on animal-robot interaction. We introduce a novel concept of a fully autonomous biohybrid agent with various lifeforms in the role of biosensors. Herein, we identify most promising organisms in the context of underwater robotics, among others Dreissena polymorpha, Anodonta cygnaea, Daphnia sp. and various algae. Special focus is placed on the ”ecosystem hacking” based on their interaction with the electronic parts. This project uses Austrian lakes of various trophic levels (Millstättersee, Hallstättersee and Neusiedlersee) as case studies and as a ”proof of concept”.

A Minimally Invasive Approach Towards “Ecosystem Hacking” With Honeybees

“…This is different from the methods employed in the research project Hiveopolis ( Ilgün et al, 2021 ) and ASSISIbf ( Schmickl et al, 2013a , b ) where worker bees are the target animals. Another, yet very different, take on organismic augmentation is made by the project Robocoenosis ( Rajewicz et al, 2021 ) by starting with the technology first and then integrating living organisms into this technology, this way replacing robotic components like sensors or actuators step by step. All these approaches differ significantly in their methods; however, they have a very similar outcome: They create a novel biohybrid system that interacts with other components in its environment, this way the biohybrid system becomes an active agent in its ecosystem.…”

Biohybrid robots: recent progress, challenges, and perspectives

“…The locomotion of these augmented animals can then be externally controlled, spanning three modes of locomotion: walking/running, flying, and swimming. Notably, these capabilities have been demonstrated in jellyfish (figure 4(A)) [139,140], clams (figure 4(B)) [141], turtles (figure 4(C)) [142,143], and insects, including locusts (figure 4(D)) [27,144], beetles (figure 4(E)) [28,[145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158], cockroaches (figure 4(F)) [159][160][161][162][163][164][165], and moths [166][167][168][169][170].…”

Lifeforms potentially useful for automated underwater monitoring systems

“…It is highly sensitive to many environmental stressors including changing salinity, oxygen levels, heavy metals and many others (Michels et al, 2000). Stress responses can include abnormal swimming (slower speed, increased sinking, spinning), disrupted phototaxy (light-related responses), haemoglobin accumulation and mortality (Rajewicz et al, 2021). These behaviours will be observed by continuous movement track- ing of the swimming animals enclosed in the setup.…”