Cyborg jellyfish, also known as bio-hybrid jellyfish robots, are being developed to collect data on the ocean’s temperature, oxygen levels, and salinity. These metrics are important for scientists to monitor the effects of climate change on the oceans

The robots combine living jellyfish with tiny electronics and a prosthetic hat to enhance their swimming capabilities. They can travel to places underwater that humans can’t go. 

Jellyfish are already ocean explorers that can thrive in tropical and polar waters. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are developing the robots. 

Jellyfish-like robots may also be used to clean up the oceans. They can circulate water around them to collect waste particles. 

Engineering the bio-hybrid jellyfish robotThey will be capable of venturing into the ocean’s depths, autonomously collecting vital information on temperature, salinity, and oxygen levels. These are all crucial metrics that scientists track to monitor the ongoing effects of climate change on our oceans.

Jellyfish typically have a lifespan of 1–3 years. For example, the moon jellyfish lives for 8–12 months, while the flame jellyfish has a lifespan of up to 4 months

However, one jellyfish species, Turritopsis dohrnii, is virtually immortal. As it ages, it settles on the sea floor and becomes a colony of polyps. In theory, this process can continue indefinitely, making the jellyfish biologically immortal. However, in practice, individuals can still die.

Yes, cyborg jellyfish are being developed to collect data on the ocean’s temperature, oxygen levels, and salinity. These bio-hybrid jellyfish robots are being developed by researchers at California Institute of Technology (Caltech

The robots combine living jellyfish with tiny electronics, including a prosthetic hat and an electronics pack. The hat-like attachments are designed to make the jellyfish more streamlined and provide a place for sensors and other electronics. 

The robots can autonomously venture into the ocean’s depths to collect data about vital metrics that scientists track to monitor the ongoing effects of climate change on our oceans.

The idea is to use the cyborg jellyfish as data-gathering robots. They will swim the ocean to collect information about temperatures, oxygen levels, and salinity. Climate change affects all these factors. This is important as we seek to understand how the buildup of carbon dioxide could affect the oceans

Earth’s oceans are—like space—a largely unexplored frontier. Relatively few humans have explored either place, using specialized life-support equipment. Unlike space, however, the oceans also have other beings that can explore them: jellyfish. They can head to places underwater that humans can never go. That makes them interesting candidates for autonomous ocean exploration

It’s well known that the ocean is critical for determining our present and future climate on land, and yet, we still know surprisingly little about the ocean, especially away from the surface,” said Dabiri. “Our goal is to finally move that needle by taking an unconventional approach inspired by one of the few animals that already successfully explores the entire ocean.”

Much like the pointed end of an arrow, we designed 3D-printed forebodies to streamline the bell of the jellyfish robot, reduce drag, and increase swimming performance,” team member Simon Anuszczyk said. “At the same time, we experimented with 3D printing until we were able to carefully balance the buoyancy and keep the jellyfish swimming vertically

The cost of a cyborg jellyfish is pretty cheap, compared to highly expensive ocean-going instruments. The total expense comes to about $20 per jellyfish, according to Dabiri. A research vessel with similar capabilities can cost upwards of $50,000. Of course, the jellyfish have only been tested in a relatively shallow area. For jellies to be sent to greater depths, there’s more work to be done on their instrument packs. “We still need to design the sensor package to withstand the same crushing pressures, but that device is smaller than a softball, making it much easier to design than a full submarine vehicle operating at those depths,” said Dabiri. “I’m really excited to see what we can learn by simply observing the

Bridging the gap: Biohybrid jellyfish robots as aquatic explorers

This initiative, detailed in a study published in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, introduces the creation of biohybrid robotic jellyfish. 

These are not your average sea creatures. They are essentially ocean-going cyborgs, enhanced with electronics to improve their swimming capabilities and equipped with a prosthetic “hat” that not only streamlines their movement but also allows them to carry small payloads.

Science behind biohybrid jellyfish robots

In a significant advancement, Dabiri’s team previously developed an electronic pacemaker to control the jellyfish’s swimming speed, discovering that faster swimming rates improved their efficiency

Scientists have created bionic jellyfish to collect data about the ocean. The jellyfish are embedded with microelectronics that allow them to swim faster and collect data about temperatures, oxygen levels, and salinity

Here’s some information about these factors:

• Temperature The ocean’s temperature can range from -2° C to 28° C, but is hotter near hydrothermal vents or closer to land. 
• Salinity Salinity is the amount of dissolved salts present in water. It’s usually 35 parts per thousand (ppt), but can range from 28-41 ppt. Warm surface water is generally saltier than the cooler deep or polar waters. 
• Oxygen levels Dissolved oxygen levels can fluctuate daily and seasonally. Oxygen levels in some tropical regions have dropped by 40 percent in the last 50 years. 

According to ScienceDaily, it takes a bionic jellyfish a few days to travel from the ocean’s surface to several thousand meters below

Here are some other facts about jellyfish:

• Life cycle Jellyfish begin as a polyp, then become an ephyra, and finally an adult medusa. 
• Size Jellyfish can increase in size quickly and reproduce in large numbers when food is plentiful. However, they can also become smaller when food is scarce. 
• Size range The smallest jellyfish are 0.5 millimeters in diameter, while the largest can be 2 meters in diameter and weigh up to 200 kilograms. 
• Speed Jellyfish typically swim at a rate of about two centimeters per second. However, box jellyfish can swim up to 1.5 to 2 meters per second. 
• Pacemakers Researchers have given pacemakers to moon jellyfish to make them swim faster. 
• Prosthetics A small prosthetic can enable jellyfish to swim three times faster and more efficiently. 

Jellyfish have many benefits, including:

• Nutrient cycling Jellyfish help transport nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous through the ocean. Other marine organisms can then use these nutrients for growth and survival. 
• Food and shelter Jellyfish provide food and shelter for fish, including protection from predators and feeding opportunities. This helps to reduce fish mortality and increase recruitment. 
• Health benefits Jellyfish contain antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and omega-3 fatty acids. They can help to:
  • Reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) 
  • Elevate HDL levels in the blood 
  • Lower the risk of chronic diseases 
  • Boost immune function 
  • Curb inflammation 
  • Prevent brain linked disorders 
  • Promote cognitive behavior 
  • Enhance skin health 
  • Protect heart health 
  • Normalize blood pressure

• Venom Studies have shown that jellyfish venom can slow the growth of colon cancer, brain cancer, and liver cancer cells in humans. 
• Collagen Desalted jellyfish contain 4-5% protein, including collagen, which aids in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory processes. 
• Mucin Jellyfish mucin, known as qniumucin, is a crucial element in the formulation to treat joint diseases

Some say that jellyfish are incredibly smart and adaptable. A 2023 study from the University of Copenhagen found that Caribbean box jellyfish can learn at a complex level, even though they have only one thousand nerve cells and no centralized brain. The study found that the jellyfish can learn from past experiences, a process called associative learning

Jellyfish have a decentralized nervous system and sensory organs that detect light, orientation, salinity, and physical stimulus. They can respond quickly and in a coordinated manner to these stimuli. They also show evidence of habituation to repeated stimuli, which suggests they have some capacity for information storage. 

Researchers have seen that jellyfish can learn in a complex manner, and adapt their behavior based on that learning. Some scientists say this could mean that individual neurons are capable of learning

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