Removing Some ‘A’ from AI: Embodied Cultured Networks

Bakkum, Douglas J.; Shkolnik, Alexander; Ben-Ary, Guy; Gamblen, Phil; DeMarse, Thomas B.; Potter, Steve M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-540-27833-7_10

Cited by 72 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…We are building a dedicated 2-photon/MEA microscope (Rambani et al, 2005). The "brain" of the hybrot system, unlike an animal's brain, holds still during behavior, and can be imaged in its entirety (Bakkum et al, 2004).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We created motor mappings to control the behavior of a robot based on the activity in a real neuronal network, and sensory mappings to stimulate the network based on the sensory input from a hybrot (Bakkum et al, 2004). The first step to demonstrate learning behavior, begun in this simulated modeling study, is to search for the relationship between the network synaptic weights and the network spatio-temporal activity patterns.…”

Section: Control Of Network Synaptic Weights and Implementation In Hymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Random External Background Stimulation on Network Synaptic Stability After Tetanization: A Modeling Study

Chao

Bakkum

Wagenaar

et al. 2005

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We constructed a simulated spiking neural network model to investigate the effects of random background stimulation on the dynamics of network activity patterns and tetanus induced network plasticity. The simulated model was a "leaky integrate-and-fire" (LIF) neural model with spiketiming-dependent plasticity (STDP) and frequency-dependent synaptic depression. Spontaneous and evoked activity patterns were compared with those of living neuronal networks cultured on multielectrode arrays. To help visualize activity patterns and plasticity in our simulated model, we introduced new population measures called Center of Activity (CA) and Center of Weights (CW) to describe the spatio-temporal dynamics of network-wide firing activity and network-wide synaptic strength, respectively. Without random background stimulation, the network synaptic weights were unstable and often drifted after tetanization. In contrast, with random background stimulation, the network synaptic weights remained close to their values immediately after tetanization. The simulation suggests that the effects of tetanization on network synaptic weights were difficult to control because of ongoing synchronized spontaneous bursts of action potentials, or "barrages." Random background stimulation helped maintain network synaptic stability after tetanization by reducing the number and thus the influence of spontaneous barrages. We used our simulated network to model the interaction between ongoing neural activity, external stimulation and plasticity, and to guide our choice of sensory-motor mappings for adaptive behavior in hybrid neural-robotic systems or "hybrots."

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Control Of Network Synaptic Weights and Implementation In Hymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Random External Background Stimulation on Network Synaptic Stability After Tetanization: A Modeling Study

Chao

Bakkum

Wagenaar

et al. 2005

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…For future cyborgs, cultured neuronal networks may be connected to an input/output device such as a multi-electrode array, thus allowing two-way communication between the person and the network. Interestingly cultured neurons are often connected via computer to a real or simulated robotic component, creating a hybrot or animat, respectively [64]. Hochberg and Donoghue [65] with colleagues have created brain-computer interface technology to demonstrate that people with paralysis can control external devices by translating neuronal activity directly into control signals for assistive devices (specifically a robotic arm) [66].…”

Section: Brain Enhancements and Neuroprosthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Cyborgs and Enhancement Technology

Barfield

Williams

2017

Philosophies

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As we move deeper into the twenty-first century there is a major trend to enhance the body with "cyborg technology". In fact, due to medical necessity, there are currently millions of people worldwide equipped with prosthetic devices to restore lost functions, and there is a growing DIY movement to self-enhance the body to create new senses or to enhance current senses to "beyond normal" levels of performance. From prosthetic limbs, artificial heart pacers and defibrillators, implants creating brain-computer interfaces, cochlear implants, retinal prosthesis, magnets as implants, exoskeletons, and a host of other enhancement technologies, the human body is becoming more mechanical and computational and thus less biological. This trend will continue to accelerate as the body becomes transformed into an information processing technology, which ultimately will challenge one's sense of identity and what it means to be human. This paper reviews "cyborg enhancement technologies", with an emphasis placed on technological enhancements to the brain and the creation of new senses-the benefits of which may allow information to be directly implanted into the brain, memories to be edited, wireless brain-to-brain (i.e., thought-to-thought) communication, and a broad range of sensory information to be explored and experienced. The paper concludes with musings on the future direction of cyborgs and the meaning and implications of becoming more cyborg and less human in an age of rapid advances in the design and use of computing technologies.Keywords: cyborg; enhancement technology; prosthesis; brain-computer interface; new senses; identity Cyborgs and ProsthesesThe human body is in the process of experiencing a rapid transformation from a completely biological entity created based on instructions provided by human DNA to a body becoming far more "computational and technological" [1]. While this paper focuses on the theme of "human" enhancement technology, we also review some computational enhancements to animal subjects because such studies provide examples of the future direction of enhancement technology and in some cases these very technologies will be implemented into the human body and likely within one or two decades. Generally, body-worn and implantable technology serves to identify cyborgs as a constellation within which the identities of the members of cyborg groups "negotiate" their individual significance. We describe "cyborg culture" or "cyborg being" as a particular way of life, or set of beliefs, which expresses certain meanings in the context of cyborg technologies; particularly in the case of many self-imposed cyborgs that "way of life" is to become transhuman [2,3]. Broderick describes a transhuman as a person who explores all available and future methods for self enhancement that eventually leads toward the radical change of posthuman-which is to ultimately become nearly unlimited in physical and psychological capability (i.e., to go beyond human) [4].Using a semiotic framework, cyborg enhancement tech...

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“…Recent research has focussed on culturing networks of some tens of thousands of brain cells grown in vitro 5 . These cultures are created by dissociating neurons obtained from foetal rodent cortical tissue using enzymes and then culturing them in a specialised chamber by providing suitable environmental conditions and nutrients.…”

Section: Controlling a Mobile Robot With A Biological Brainmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlling a Mobile Robot with a Biological Brain

Warwick

Xydas

Nasuto

et al. 2010

DSJ

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The intelligent controlling mechanism of a typical mobile robot is usually a computer system. Some recent research is ongoing in which biological neurons are being cultured and trained to act as the brain of an interactive real world robotthereby either completely replacing, or operating in a cooperative fashion with, a computer system. Studying such hybrid systems can provide distinct insights into the operation of biological neural structures, and therefore, such research has immediate medical implications as well as enormous potential in robotics. The main aim of the research is to assess the computational and learning capacity of dissociated cultured neuronal networks. A hybrid system incorporating closed-loop control of a mobile robot by a dissociated culture of neurons has been created. The system is flexible and allows for closed-loop operation, either with hardware robot or its software simulation. The paper provides an overview of the problem area, gives an idea of the breadth of present ongoing research, establises a new system architecture and, as an example, reports on the results of conducted experiments with real-life robots.

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Removing Some ‘A’ from AI: Embodied Cultured Networks

Cited by 72 publications

References 45 publications

Effects of Random External Background Stimulation on Network Synaptic Stability After Tetanization: A Modeling Study

Effects of Random External Background Stimulation on Network Synaptic Stability After Tetanization: A Modeling Study

Cyborgs and Enhancement Technology

Controlling a Mobile Robot with a Biological Brain

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