Robo-Rat Has Functioning Whiskers
Writing by Conner Flynn on Monday, 10 of March , 2008 at 7:13 pm
Nine research groups from Europe, Israel, and the US have teamed up to build a robotic rat with at least one unique feature. It has functioning whiskers! Robotics sensors are generally non-contact based, like vision sensors, laser range finders, and ultra-sonic transducers. But these technologies have their limitations, especially in harsh environments or when it’s dark. These scientists took a cue from nature, creating a robotic rat that learns about its surrounding area through touch.
The project is helping scientists understand why a flesh and blood rat’s sense of touch is so efficient and they hope that the technology might one day be used in more sophisticated applications. This project may well lead to future machines being built which are more efficient at things like rescue or search missions, with restricted visibility, even smarter planetary exploration robots.
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Category: Research
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