In context
In 2025, animal-robot research was exploring less invasive ways to control movement, as traditional implanted electrodes risked brain damage and signal instability. This study applied temporal interference (TI) stimulation—a non-invasive method using high-frequency currents to target deep brain regions—to steer pigeon robots, marking a shift toward safer neural control.
What was reported
Researchers from Shandong University of Science and Technology and Qingdao Jinmotang Biotechnology used TI stimulation to control steering in pigeons. They built a physical pigeon brain model for simulation, optimizing electrode placement and current parameters to target the dorsalis intermedius ventralis anterior (DIVA) nucleus, which governs steering behavior.
In behavioral experiments, TI stimulation effectively induced left and right turns. The stimulation reached a depth of 7.5 mm, sufficient to activate DIVA without penetrating the brain. c-Fos immunohistochemistry confirmed focal activation in the target region, with minimal effect on surrounding tissue.
The method uses electrodes fixed to the skull, delivering two high-frequency sinusoidal currents (2 kHz and 2.02 kHz) that interfere to produce a low-frequency envelope at the target. This avoids the need for invasive electrode implantation, reducing tissue damage and electrode displacement issues common in long-term animal robots.
Why it mattered
This work demonstrated a non-invasive alternative for controlling animal robots, potentially improving reliability and welfare in applications like search-and-rescue or neuroscience research. The ability to stimulate deep brain nuclei without surgery could extend to other species and more complex behaviors, advancing practical animal-robot systems.
“The proposed method not only avoids the damage to the pigeon brain caused by the electrode implantation surgery, but also applies electrical stimulation to the vast majority of nuclei inside the pigeon brain.”
Source: 《机器人》期刊 (robot.sia.cn) · Published 2025-09-16 · “基于时间干扰的家鸽机器人转向行为调控”