How Is Lego Helping Grow Bones?
- Posted on March 14, 2012 at 2:34pm by
Liz Klimas
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Growing bones is not as easy as using “Skele-Grow” potion from the magical world of Harry Potter. Scientifically, it involves dipping a sample into a calcium and protein solution, rinsing in water, dipping in phosphorous, and repeating. Over and over again.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge working on bone growth thought of a way to automate this process using a very familiar childhood toy: Lego. It’s a bit more complex than the stackable bricks though. The team in the school of engineering used Lego Mindstorm, a DIY robotics kit, which can be programmed in just the right manner to free researchers of the tedious dipping process.
Daniel from Cambridge explains the technology in this Google Science Fair video:
Daniel recently gave a speech on his robotics experience at the 2012 Google Science Fair in Cape Town. This isn’t the only way you could automate the process, Daniel said, but “Lego seemed like the simplest way.”
[H/T Popular Science]
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ConservativeBrony
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 11:11pmThat’s just cool.
Report Post »Mr. H.
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 1:51pmUsing an .edu toy to build a robot. Creative and time saving. Also somewhat out of the box thinking too.
Does anyone else intensely dislike these “Next Story” boxes that pop up over what you are trying to read or where you are trying to write a reply?
Report Post »Bikkiboo
Posted on March 15, 2012 at 10:19pmYes, Yes, Yes. I hate those boxes. Like I‘m already here and I’m not going to read the next story?? Good grief. Technology gone awry!! Drop them BLAZE – please.
Report Post »hi
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:55pmWow! With all of that intelligent input, the Lego built bone is crappy as compared to ones in real life that spontaneously happened!
Report Post »READRIGHTHERE
Posted on March 24, 2012 at 12:48pmIs your faith being threatened by this scientific advance, or have you graduated to accepting that God inspires men to do marvelous things?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:44pmMIT created a Robot… that just wandered around… and when low on power, it looked for an OutLet to Plug into — A new, guard, freaked out… and shot it!
Report Post »martinez012577
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 4:49pmLOL no way. Please share that link.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on March 14, 2012 at 6:50pmIt’s an old story… from back in the late 60′s… circulated around the computer geeks… and it seemed reasonable, back then!
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