Wearable technology processors like Fitbits could be replaced using fungus mycelium



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Wearable electronic sensors, such as those in Fitbit watches and pedometers that detect biological signals, may be replaced in the future by… fungi.

Rachel Horton’s oyster mushrooms

No, it’s not a typo. In a proof of concept study, the mycelium was able to perceive several external stimuli such as light, temperature and humidity, but also certain chemicals in the environment and even electrical signals.

The oyster mushroom mycelium, the fibrous tissues of the central structure of fungi that colonize under the soil and from which the fungi grow, were able to perceive the electrical signals so as to reproduce this part for the sensors and processors, which are readable by a computer.

In other words (fantastic), the perceptions of the fungus of the environment would become the data that gives you the number of beats per minute on your heart rate monitor.

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In nature, the mycelium organizes itself into geometric structures in and throughout the soil. Although the fungal mycelium does not have much reason to detect electrical signals in nature as we know it, reprogramming genes in the oyster mushroom mycelium to form different geometric structures that would optimize the detection power of electrical signals is the ticket to browse that makes Professor Andrew Adamtzky think it’s worth investigating.

“We have shown that it is possible to discern a nature of stimuli from the electrical responses of fungi,” wrote Adamatzky, who used slimy molds to solve mazes and optimize urban road planning in Tokyo and France. , in his new research paper.

Fungal wearable embedded in real tissue – courtesy of A. Adamatzky, study of reactive fungal wearable devices

“The results paved the way for the future design of smart detection patches for use in responsive fungal wearable devices.”

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The patches mentioned were hemp tissue colonized by mycelium and then connected to computer sensors.

The spraying of different chemicals on the patch, as well as his exposure to different stimuli mentioned above, was what gave Adamatzky the guarantee of his voice.

It’s not something that is going to take over the markets anytime soon, but it is another fascinating application of mycelium, which GNN says can be used to make building bricks, coffins, canoes and to great effect on cleaning up nuclear waste.

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