Behavior control of Daphnia using LCD screen and its application to computer games

Abstract

We have been investigating how to use behavior-controlled Daphnia as a living micromachine. The control of Daphnia was done by applying their phototaxes. We successfully controlled the behavior of Daphnia using phototaxis. However, Daphnia has millimeter size body and it is too big for micromachines. Therefore, we have been investigating for the other applications such as for the entertainment field. In order to use Daphnia as entertainment, we created a new behavior control system using LCD screen of a tablet PC. For a new behavior control system, we created an experimental pool with a function like a prism that can polarize light from the bottom in the horizontal direction. We investigated how to acquire the location of Daphnia by image processing. Based on them, we developed a computer game to compete the Daphnia’s maneuverability.