Phototactic guidance of a tissue-engineered soft-robotic ray

TLDR

A bio‑inspired ray‑fish robot can be guided by light, mimicking natural phototactic behavior. The 1/10‑scale robot features a microfabricated gold skeleton, a rubber body, and rat heart muscle cells genetically engineered to respond to light, enabling undulatory propulsion toward a light source. Park et al., Science, this issue p.

Abstract

Swim into the light A bio-inspired swimming robot that mimics a ray fish can be guided by light. Park et al. built a 1/10th-scale version of a ray fish with a microfabricated gold skeleton and a rubber body powered by rat heart muscle cells. The cardiomyocytes were genetically engineered to respond to light cues, so that the undulatory movements propelling the robot through water would follow a light source. Science , this issue p. 158