Researchers have found that polymer hydrogels can enhance the gaming experience of the prolific video game “ping pong.”
As reported in the findings in the journal Cell Press, scientists were able to connect inanimate hydrogels with electrical stimulation in a virtual video game environment. With practice, the inanimate hydrogel improved game play by 10 percent and was even able to create longer pull between rackets while improving hit rate. The magazine said it took 20 minutes for the hydrogel to reach its maximum “ping pong potential.”
“We showed that hydrogels can do more than just play table tennis; they can actually get better over time,” said lead author Vincent Strong, a robotics engineer at the University of Reading. explain.
More research is still needed, but the researchers say this demonstrates the ability of a non-living material, in this case a hydrogel, to use memory to update the hydrogel’s understanding of its surroundings.
The latest research was inspired by tests conducted several years ago on brain cells that teach table tennis.
