# Hydrogels Can Learn to Play Pong? Yes, Really! 🎮

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/hydrogels-can-learn-to-play-pong-yes-really/289649>\
**Category:** News & Articles\
**Tags:** technology\
**Created:** [August 23, 2024, 9:54am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/hydrogels-can-learn-to-play-pong-yes-really/289649 "2024-08-23T09:54:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TheJoker](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/thejoker/32/22660_2.png) [@TheJoker](https://onehack.st/u/TheJoker)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2024, 9:54am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/hydrogels-can-learn-to-play-pong-yes-really/289649/1 "2024-08-23T09:54:29Z")

</div>

**Summary:**

* * *

1. **Pong Learning**  
Research shows that hydrogels, a type of smart material, can “learn” to play Pong by adapting to electrical stimuli. They track the ball and improve their gameplay accuracy over time.

2. **Experimental Setup**  
The hydrogels were connected to a virtual Pong game using electrodes. They improved their ability to hit the ball, showing adaptive behaviors similar to living systems or AI.

3. **Future Possibilities**  
This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for creating materials with memory and adaptive functions. Future research might enable hydrogels to maintain continuous rallies in games.

**Read more at:** [Ars Technica](https://arstechnica.com)