Jelly plays Pong and gets better at with practice

August 25, 2024

Imma Perfetto
Cosmos science journalist

A hydrogel has learned to play the 1970s video game “Pong” and improved its ability to hit the ball by 10% with some practice.

Dr Hayashi, a biomedical engineer at the University of Reading in the UK, says: “Our research shows that even very simple materials can exhibit complex, adaptive behaviours typically associated with living systems or sophisticated AI.

“This opens up exciting possibilities for developing new types of ‘smart’ materials that can learn and adapt to their environment.”

The research is described in a paper published in Cell Reports Physical Science.

More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/jelly-plays-pong-and-gets-better-at-with-practice/