The ultimate goal is the future supply of such bionic jellyfish with electronic sensors and micro-cameras in order to obtain information on the state of the oceans.
Researchers in the US created the first bionic jellyfish; which -thanks to the addition of a small electronic device– can swim three times faster than the normal jellyfish.
The ultimate objective is the future supply of such bionic jellyfish with electronic sensors and micro-cameras in order to obtain information on the state of the oceans (heat, salinity, oxygen levels, presence of microorganisms, etc.); although for those suffering from jellyfish near the coast, the idea that one day they will be even more capable will probably not excite them.
Researchers at Cal-Tech and Stanford universities in California, led by Department of Mechanical Engineering professor John Dabiri,who published the paper in the journal “Science Advances”, developed a two-centimeter additional controller, consisting basically of a microprocessor and a battery attached to the jellyfish, allowing it to swim more effectively and without getting tired.
Jellyfish use a pulsating motion to move in the water, and the new prosthetic device uses electrical pulses to accelerate this propulsion, in a way similar to the one where the pacemaker electrically activates the dysfunctional heart. Jellyfish usually move at a speed of about two centimeters per second and, with the bionic device, reach up to six centimeters per second.
The next step for researchers is to develop a system that will not only speed up the jellyfish, but also guide it in specific directions (it reminds a little… zombies).
It should be noted, however, that jellyfish, which have existed on Earth for more than 500 million years, do not have a brain, central system or pain receptors.
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