These days scientists are getting a lot better at creating more humanoid-looking robots, but for the most part, this is mostly an aesthetics thing. However, it seems that in the future, machines could not just look more lifelike, but could also potentially start to exhibit lifelike tendencies as well.
This is thanks to the creation of a new artificial material by the engineers at Cornell University. Dubbed DASH (DNA-based Assembly and Synthesis of Hierarchical), this material has been designed to sport lifelike traits, which includes metabolism, self-assembly, and organization. What this means is that in the future, machines could have the potential to self-reproduce.
According to Shogo Hamada, the lead author on the study, “The designs are still primitive, but they showed a new route to create dynamic machines from biomolecules. We are at a first step of building lifelike robots by artificial metabolism. Even from a simple design, we were able to create sophisticated behaviors like racing. Artificial metabolism could open a new frontier in robotics.”
While we have to admit that it sounds rather exciting, we’re not sure we’re too thrilled at the idea of robots being able heal themselves and self-replicate one day. We’re not alone in our concerns as we have seen in the past, several prominent people from the science and tech industry have expressed their interest in avoiding a Terminator-like future.