Robotic Skin
Science Fiction had its lines-blurred by reality long ago and this bit of news just goes to prove it all the more. NASA is working on ‘Robotic Skin’ which could allow a robot to sense its environment much like humans do.
Robots move well on their own, especially when nothing is in the way,” Lumelsky explained. However, change the environment and a different picture emerges. “Robots should be able to react, but today’s robots can’t,” he said. “That’s the difference and that’s got to change for exploration.
This ‘Robo Skin’ is undergoing research at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The touch sensitive skin said to be critical in situations where humans and robots work side by side in space, where the slightest touch could be the difference between life and death, for human and robot alike.
