Jon Stewart of The Daily Show's oddly hilarious term for a cybernetic robot controlled by the brain of a Lamprey Eel. I don't think he quite coined the term; in my search for websites I found a headline on BBC's site that read "Fish-brained robot at Science Museum."

The eel brain controls a robot via radio; the robot "sees" using light sensors that relay information back to the brain, which is fully capable of responding to external stimuli. The robot moves (only under command from the brain) using electrical motors, and (thanks to the brain) even has the ability to "learn." Unfortunately, the brains tend to die before achieving omniscient cybernetic sentience, sparing the human race from total annihilation by hordes of fish-brained cyborgs. Scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago (Illinois, USA) were the first to develop the system, with the hopes of possibly implementing their findings into the advancement of prosthetic limb technology.

Links:

  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1043000/1043001.stm
  • http://www.raven1.net/eelrobot.htm
  • http://bric.postech.ac.kr/science/97now/00_11now/001113a.html