ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the computational and learning capacity of dissociated, cultured neuronal networks. It provides an overview of the problem area, describes the culturing process, gives an idea of the breadth of ongoing research, details operable system architecture and, as an example, reports the results of conducted experiments with ‘real-life’ robots. It is usual for an autonomous mobile robot to be controlled by a computer system, which is either embedded or linked via a wireless or umbilical connection. The overall closed-loop hybrid system involving a primary cortical culture on an MEA and a mobile robot ensures a sufficiently rich and consistent environment for the culture and hence constitutes an interesting and novel approach to examining the computational capabilities of biological networks. To create the cultured neural network, cortical tissue is dissected from the brains of embryonic rats and neuronal cells enzymatically dissociated before seeding onto planar MEAs.
