Engineers over at Northwestern University managed to come up with soft, flexible electronic neurons that send signals much like the ones that come from actual brain cells. Their early experiments were a success in as much as they got these artificial signals to activate living neurons taken from mouse brains.
This breakthrough has huge potential for taking brain-machine interfaces, neuro-prosthetic devices and super-low power computing systems to the next level – all of which are inspired by the human brain – still considered the most power-efficient computer out there.
“Artificial intelligence is basically running our world right now”, says Mark C Hersam, the research lead . He points out that todays AI systems gobble up massive amounts of data and siphon off a ton of energy in the process – and the power-consumption problems are only going to get worse. Because the human brain is just so much more power-efficient than digital computers, researchers are looking to biology to get some ideas that could really make a difference in future computing tech.
Unlike your typical computers which are totally dependent on billions of rigid and identical silicon transistors, the brain works through a bunch of diverse, adaptable neurons that are all highly connected and arranged in soft 3D networks. Now Hersam says that if we’re going to get future electronics to even begin to approach that sort of flexibility and efficiency, we’re going to have to get a bit more innovative with our materials and designs.
To whip up these artificial neurons, the team used printable inks made out of super fine nanoscale materials. One of the materials, Molybdenum disulfide, behaves like a semiconductor, while graphene is excellent at conducting electricity. Using aerosol jet printing, they were able to squirt the inks right onto flexible polymer surfaces, giving them these bendy electronic devices.
Now here’s the thing – the team figured out that instead of getting rid of the stabilizing polymers from the ink altogether, they should just break partly break them down . Stunningly, this ended up creating little conductive pathways inside the device that were producing electrical spikes that were amazingly close to what’s happening in real neurons.
The printed up neurons were able to come up with a bunch of different firing patterns, including single spikes, continuous firing and this burst-like activity – all of which are pretty much normal for living brain cells. And theyre able to fire at really high frequencies, too – and amazingly they were able to keep this up for over one million cycles, which is a major step forward for future implants and advanced computing systems.
In order to see if the devices could actually interact with living tissue, the researchers applied the artificial signals to bits of mouse cerebellum tissue. And lo and behold, the signals got the job done and activated the cells on the Purkinje neurons – which are a key type of brain cell involved in movement and coordination.
What this research seems to be saying is that one day electronic systems could potentially talk to the human nervous system in a much more natural way – and they could do it with a fraction of the energy that todays computers use.
“Other labs have tried to create artificial neurons using organic materials, but their signals were too slow,” said Mark C. Hersam. “Others used metal oxides, which fired too fast. Our devices operate within a timing range that had not been achieved before for artificial neurons. We could actually see living neurons respond to the artificial ones. That means we’ve created signals with both the correct timing and the right spike shape to directly interact with real brain cells.”
Toward Softer Implants And Smarter Technology
The breakthrough could play an important role in the future of brain-machine interfaces. Researchers believe the technology may eventually help develop advanced implants for hearing, vision, movement, and other neurological functions. It could also allow prosthetic devices to send and receive signals in a way that feels more natural to the body.
Another major advantage is that the devices are printed rather than traditionally manufactured. The printing process places materials only where needed, reducing waste and lowering production costs compared to standard electronics manufacturing.
This becomes increasingly important as artificial intelligence continues to grow. Modern AI systems require enormous data centers that consume huge amounts of electricity and water.
“To meet the energy demands of AI, tech companies are building massive data centers powered by dedicated nuclear plants,” Hersam explained. “That level of power consumption cannot scale forever. It’s difficult to imagine future data centers needing dozens or even hundreds of nuclear power plants. On top of that, these systems generate tremendous heat, and cooling them requires large amounts of water. No matter how you look at it, we need more energy-efficient hardware for AI.”
Why This Research Matters
The study could help create medical devices that communicate with the nervous system more naturally. If artificial neurons can accurately copy the timing and patterns of real brain signals, future implants may become safer, more effective, and better integrated with the human body. This could improve technologies designed to restore hearing, vision, movement, or sensory feedback.
The work may also lead to more efficient brain-inspired computing systems. Instead of relying on huge networks of simple components, future computers could use fewer artificial neurons capable of more complex behavior. That could significantly reduce energy use, lower heat production, and make advanced computing more sustainable.
Perhaps most importantly, the research demonstrates that flexible, printed electronics can successfully interact with living tissue. Over time, this could help bridge the gap between biology and machines, leading to softer, smarter devices that work more naturally with the human body.
