Pong-Playing Blob: Hydrogels and the Future of AI

To be honest, I don’t know if I find this cool, creepy, or both. Either way, it’s fascinating.
Hydrogels have demonstrated the capacity to learn and enhance their performance in the game of Pong due to their distinctive physical attributes. These materials develop a form of “memory” from their previous movements through the manipulation of ions within their structure, subsequently influencing their forthcoming responses.
Researchers linked the hydrogels to a virtual gaming environment, utilizing electrical signals to transmit data regarding the ball’s location. The migration of ions within the hydrogel played a direct role in governing the movement of the “racket.”
Through continuous engagement, the accuracy of the hydrogel increased by 10%, exemplifying the adaptability and retention of information by inanimate materials. This revelation hints at the potential for a novel kind of “intelligence” that could serve as a basis for simplified AI algorithms.
Interestingly, brain cells have already displayed the ability to partake in Pong through electrical stimulation, which provides feedback on their performance. This prompted scientists to investigate whether non-living materials such as hydrogels could imitate brain-like functionalities.
It appears that both brain cells and hydrogels operate on a similar principle: the manipulation and dispersion of ions enable them to “recall” and react to alterations in their surroundings. The key disparity lies in the fact that brain cells maneuver ions internally, whereas in hydrogels, the ions move externally.
Hydrogels are intricate polymers that adopt a jelly-like consistency upon interacting with water. Common examples found in nature include gelatin and agar. For this particular examination, researchers employed an electroactive polymer—a hydrogel that reshapes when subjected to an electric current.
This reshaping phenomenon is made feasible by the ions present in the adjacent environment, which, upon the application of an electrical impulse, shift and attract water molecules, thereby inducing a momentary deformation of the hydrogel.The hydrogel’s slower contraction compared to its swelling indicates a memory-like process where ion movements are influenced by previous rearrangements within the material, starting from its initial creation when ions were uniformly distributed.
In a test of the hydrogel’s capacity for utilizing its physical “memory” in tasks, researchers linked it to a virtual Pong game through electrodes, creating a feedback loop between the hydrogel racket and the ball’s position. The position of the racket was determined by the movement of ions within the hydrogel, while electrical signals conveyed the ball’s location to the hydrogel.
Initially, the ball moved randomly in the experiment. Throughout gameplay, researchers monitored the hydrogel’s performance in hitting the ball and scrutinized its dynamic behavior. Gradually, the hydrogel’s proficiency improved, leading it to hit the ball more frequently.
While neurons achieved mastery of the game in approximately 10 minutes, the hydrogel required around 20 minutes to attain a comparable skill level. The gel stored information about the ball’s trajectory as it moved, using this data to position its racket optimally for successful hits. The ion movement within the hydrogel established a form of “memory” of prior actions, ultimately enhancing the system’s efficacy.
While most current AI algorithms rely on neural networks, researchers propose that hydrogels could present an alternative type of “intelligence,” offering novel, simpler algorithms. Subsequent research will delve further into the memory mechanisms of hydrogels and evaluate their potential for diverse tasks.
The findings have been documented in Cell Reports Physical Science.

(Source: Jake Carter, Anomalien.com)