In an intriguing advancement, researchers have discovered that non-living hydrogels can actually play the video game Pong, improving their performance with increased experience. Published in the Cell Press journal, Cell Reports Physical Science, the scientists were able to enhance the hydrogel's gameplay accuracy by up to 10% through the use of a feedback loop between the hydrogel's paddle and the ball's position. The researchers suggest this could represent a form of 'memory', allowing non-living materials like hydrogels to update their understanding of their environment.
Interestingly, ionic hydrogels show similar memory mechanics to more complex neural networks according to the first author of the study, Robotics Engineer Vincent Strong, at the University of Reading. He explains that the hydrogels continue to improve their gameplay over time through this "memory".
In fact, the research was inspired by a previous study, which demonstrated that brain cells could learn to play Pong when electrically stimulated. Yoshikatsu Hayashi, a Biomedical Engineer at the University of Reading, further explains this parallel, stating, "In neurons, ions run within the cells; in the gel, they run outside."
Hydrogels are complex polymers that behave like jelly when hydrated. In this case, the researchers worked with an 'electro-active polymer', a type of hydrogel that responds to electrical stimulation. The rate at which it de-swells is slower than when it swells initially, meaning that the ions' subsequent motion is influenced by its previous motion, similar to memory.
To test the hydrogel's gameplay capabilities, the researchers connected it to a virtual game environment using electrodes, sending the ball in a random direction to begin. The hydrogel's accuracy improved through continued play, resulting in longer rallies, with optimal skills achieved after roughly 20 minutes.
Importantly, the scientists speculate that hydrogels could represent a variation of 'intelligence', with their 'memory' potentially useful in developing new, simpler algorithms in AI. Future studies are planned to examine this mechanism further, particularly, its ability to perform other tasks.
Disclaimer: The above article was written with the assistance of AI. The original sources can be found on ScienceDaily.
