Humanoid robots will be able to feel pain thanks to a new artificial skin
Humanoid robots have long been built to be robust, accurate, and long-lasting, but it's possible that no one thought of the necessity for them to be "sensitive." Although they are outfitted with cameras and sensors to gauge their strength, they are unable to sense their own bodies or their environment. In other words, they don't perceive any outside stimuli, although this seems to be poised to change.
In an effort to increase safety and protection, researchers at universities in Shanghai and Hong Kong have developed a new robotics invention that suggests giving humanoid robots skin that can sense or detect threats or harm, much like a human's sense of touch or pain.
They created a flexible robotic skin that turns the robot's whole surface into a single, sizable sensor in order to accomplish this aim.
According to a study on the research released by National Geographic, this new artificial skin behaves similarly to human skin; it is a linked sensory network rather than just a protective covering. This artificial skin can detect pressure, heat, cold, and physical wounds like cuts all at once because of its structure, which is made up of hundreds of thousands of tiny connections.
As a result, the robot is able to concurrently sense what is happening in various sections of its body. It is crucial to realize that the term "feels pain" refers to a warning signal rather than actual human suffering. To put it another way, it is a system that mimics the fundamental function of human pain by identifying a malfunction and triggering a reaction to shield the body from more harm.
In daily life, this technique is quite helpful. For instance, a standard robot would keep attempting to move a piece of furniture even if a heavy object fell on its foot, running the danger of falling and getting hurt. Nevertheless, the robot will recognize the damage, halt, and take the appropriate action to prevent danger because of its sensitive casing.
Additionally, it can identify little damage, including imperceptible fissures that might allow moisture or dust to enter and harm the robot's internal parts. Additionally, because the case is made to be modular, a broken section may be swapped out for a spare, saving the entire robot from needing to be replaced.
Beyond humanoid robots, this technology may find use in emergency gear, protective clothing, and sophisticated prostheses. But as they stress, the objective is to make robots safer and more dependable when dealing with humans, not to make them more human-like.