The Electrical Energy of Life II: From Biology to Technology

What Awaits You?

Robotics powered by bioelectricity: We’ll observe how neural signals are used to control robotic systems.
Music from the nervous system: We’ll experience how the electrical activity of our body can create melodies and rhythms.
Direct connection between people: We’ll discover how we can connect nervous systems and share electrical signals between people.
SpikerBot, for the first time in Europe: We’ll meet a robot whose “brain” we create ourselves. Without programming, without complications—just by designing a neural network through a simple interface, we’ll immediately see how the robot reacts.

How Does SpikerBot Work?

We design the neural network ourselves using a brain-shaped interface, connecting neurons to the robot’s sensors and motors. Then we watch how it responds: it moves, speaks, and acts using the “brain” we designed. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to experiment—we can change the connections between neurons and see how the robot’s behavior changes in real time.
This is not just about science, but a glimpse into a future where biology and technology merge in ways we’re only beginning to discover. We’ll see how the principles that govern our nervous system can power machines, create art, and connect us in completely new, fascinating ways.

About the Speaker

Tim Marzullo is a neuroscientist and co-founder of Backyard Brains. He graduated in biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his PhD in neuroscience from the University of Michigan, where he worked on neuroprosthetic applications and brain electrode technology. He also worked at NASA Ames Research Center and NeuroNexus Technologies.
Together with Greg Gage, also an American neuroscientist, he founded Backyard Brains in 2009 with the mission to make neuroscience accessible to everyone through affordable and innovative educational tools. Today he works full-time developing these technologies, which are used in over 50 countries worldwide, including projects such as RoboRoach and fully portable electrophysiological systems.
His goal is to bring brain science closer to everyone through simple tools and practical experiments. He has developed and implemented his projects in America, Chile, South Korea, and Spain, and this is his first visit to Serbia.
Tim combines serious science with engaging experiments, making even the most complex topics clear and interesting to everyone: from experts to those encountering this field for the first time.

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