Scientists edge closer to smarter robots

Research into how human brains interpret our senses could pave the way for robots whose fingertips are as as sensitive our own.

If the study, carried out by teams at Edinburgh and University of Sheffield universities, continues to be successful, it could pave the way for mammoth developments in the areas of prosthetic limbs or work in high-danger environments like bomb disposal.

Boffins at the institutions are using artificial mouse whiskers, connected to a robotic brain, to try and analyse how our brain processes what we feel when we touch things. In doing so, they have been able to mirror how the brain interprets whisker movement based on direction and build associated profiles that will enhance future robot design.

"The next generation of robots will learn from experience just as we do," said Professor Tony Prescott, of the University of Sheffield's Department of Psychology, in a statement. "This study is helping us to understand how the brain learns, without a teacher, to extract useful information from sensory signals."

The teams now hope to expand the scope of their research to cover how the brain understands the different shapes of objects it encounters.

Click here for our feature on the future of robotics.