Specially modified cyborg jellyfish could soon be exploring Earth's oceans, going safely where no humans have gone before.
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.
Dabiri and colleagues first implanted electronic pacemakers into jellyfish to control their swim speeds. When that worked, they added an additional piece to the jelly, called a forebody. It looks like a little hat that sits atop the jelly’s body. The team had to do some work to adapt it. Eventually, they came up with a model that works with sensors and other electronics.
A biohybrid jellyfish descends through the three-story tank in which swimming tests were conducted. Credit: Caltech