A gooey gel made by scientists can play the video game Pong and gets better over time as it learns, new research has shown.
The experts claim the “muscle memory” on display might be useful for people developing artificial intelligence.
Inspired by a study that used brain cells in a dish to play Pong, the team from Reading University decided to try playing the “tennis like” game with a simple water-based gel.
The soft, flexible material contained charged ions that respond to electricity. When electricity was passed through the gel, the ions moved to the source of the current, dragging water with them and causing the gel to swell.
It was hooked up to electrodes that mimicked the classic Pong board, dividing it into six rectangles with walls around the edges.
Pong was created in the 1970s and was one of the first video games ever released. The aim is to pass a ball between two paddles and keep a rally going.
The scientists passed a small voltage into the hydrogel where the ball hit the wall and measured where the ions gathered.
The computer interpreted this as where to move the paddle.
Over time, the charged ions gathered more effectively where the ball hit. Its accuracy improved by up to 10% and the length of rallies increased.
