Learning hydrogel is a fundamental advance for robotics.

"A groundbreaking study reveals that a hydrogel can learn and improve at playing Pong, showing complex adaptive behaviors. This material also successfully mimicked cardiac tissue rhythms, presenting a potential model for cardiac research that could reduce reliance on animal testing. Credit: SciTechDaily.com" (ScitechDaily, Pong Prodigy: “Hydrogel Brain” Defies Expectations With Deep Learning)

"Non-living hydrogels can play the video game Pong and improve their gameplay with more experience, researchers report on August 23 in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science. The researchers hooked hydrogels up to a virtual game environment and then applied a feedback loop between the hydrogel’s paddle—encoded by the distribution of charged particles within the hydrogel—and the ball’s position—encoded by electrical stimulation." (ScitechDaily, Pong Prodigy: “Hydrogel Brain” Defies Expectations With Deep Learning)

"With practice, the hydrogel’s accuracy improved by up to 10%, resulting in longer rallies. The researchers say that this demonstrates the ability of non-living materials to use “memory” to update their understanding of the environment, though more research is needed before it could be said that hydrogels can “learn.” Credit: Cell Reports Physical Science/Strong et al." (ScitechDaily, Pong Prodigy: “Hydrogel Brain” Defies Expectations With Deep Learning)

The learning hydrogel is the tool that can revolutionize medical treatment and robotics. But it can make the robot amoebas like transformer robots from the Terminator movies possible. The idea is that the microprocessors can reprogram the hydrogel or its loops. 

"The emergent learning behavior is thought to arise from movement of charged particles within the hydrogel in response to electrical stimulation, creating a form of ‘memory’ within the material itself." (ScitechDaily, Pong Prodigy: “Hydrogel Brain” Defies Expectations With Deep Learning) 

If the system can manipulate that memory it's the next big step for robotics. The new liquid-transforming robots are tools that can revolutionize everything from medical treatment to military technology. 

Above: Gel plays ping pong

Above: Dying Filaments Create a Bacterial Division Ring. That thing can make the new self-repairing materials possible. 

Above:Computational simulation and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiment on in vitro assemblies. Credit: © Christian Vanhille Campos, Šarić lab, including an AFM video by Philipp Radler, Loose lab, ISTA (ScitechDaily, Dying to Align: Secret Mechanism Behind Bacterial Cell Division Unveiled)

The ping-pong playing hydrogel is the thing, that we can say "wonder". This kind of hydrogel can learn to detect certain cells from the body. And then drive medicine molecules into them. Researchers found the feedback loop in the hydrogel structure that allows it to learn things like playing pin pong. And that means the similar loops might allow things, like amoebas and why not, bacteria to learn things. 

The learning hydrogel can used to program nanomachines. That means the nanomachines can get new abilities to accomplish their mission. The learning hydrogel is a tool that can have multiple usages. If that kind of loop that makes learning possible is found in things like silicone. 

"Computer simulation of filaments assembling into a division ring in the middle of the cell. Credit: Nicola de Mitri" (ScitechDaily, Dying to Align: Secret Mechanism Behind Bacterial Cell Division Unveiled)

That thing makes it possible to create new types of materials. That can fix damages or release the medicines at the right points. 

The new observations about the protein production in bacteria are also the things that open the next-generation materials. The protein-level construction is the thing, that makes self-repairing materials possible. And then we can think what if the artificial bacteria have an intelligent gel inside it? That thing can make many impressive things possible. 

Self-repairing materials and things like robot amoebas that can take any form that the researchers want can use that kind of combination. And in the most interesting visions, the microchips can program the loops in the hydrogel structures. 

https://scitechdaily.com/dying-to-align-secret-mechanism-behind-bacterial-cell-division-unveiled/

https://scitechdaily.com/pong-prodigy-hydrogel-brain-defies-expectations-with-deep-learning/