AI-Enhanced Robotic Rat Interacts Socially with Real Rats, Offering Companionship

Dec 7, 2024, 04:30 AM

Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology and the Technical University of Munich have developed a robotic rat capable of social interaction with real rats, using artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic behaviors like pouncing and nose touching. This innovation aims to advance studies on social interactions among rodents. Meanwhile, scientists from Moscow State University have taken a different approach by connecting a rat's brain to an AI system, allowing the rat, named 'Pythia', to communicate telepathically and answer scientific questions using a special rat keyboard. These developments could potentially offer companionship for lonely rodents and provide new insights into animal behavior and cognition.