Engineers have created various kinds of machines such as smart phones, humanoid robots, self-propelled vehicles, etc. However, there are still big hurdles to build a system that demonstrates attractive functions appeared in biological systems, such as single molecule recognition, highly efficient biomolecular production, biocompatibility and self- healing/self-reproducing ability, etc.
To achieve these functions, we have studied “biohybrid” systems that  harnessthe living system within artificial systems.
Here are three biohybrid robots developed by Shoji Takeuchi’s research group at the Department of Mechano-Informatics.

A mobile robot with an odorant sensor using a olfactory receptor of an insect
2019
Production: Nobuo Misawa/ Satoshi Fujii
Courtesy: Shoji Takeuchi Research Group
Collection: Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

A robot with a cell-based odorant sensor

左上） 蚊の受容体(触角)を用いた匂いセンサー搭載移動ロボット
中央・右上）特定の匂いに反応する細胞を使ったセンサーを搭載したロボット
右下）骨格筋組織によって駆動するロボット

Top left) A mobile robot with an odorant sensor using
a olfactory receptor of an insect
Top right, Middle) A robot with a cell-based odorant sensor
Bottom right) A biohybrid robot driven by skeletal muscle tissue
2016
Production: Nobuo Misawa/ Hidefumi Mitsuno
Courtesy: Shoji Takeuchi Research Group
Collection: Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

A biohybrid robot driven by skeletal muscle tissue
2018
Production: Associate Professor Yuya Morimoto, Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology The University of Tokyo
Courtesy: Shoji Takeuchi Research Group
Collection: Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo