Robot Rabbit that recognises your touch!

New Technology
Written by Pankaj Bengani
Monday, 26 May 2008
Now robots are not only capable of recognizing our voice but our touch also. A Canadian researcher Steve Yohanan has developed a robotic rabbit that communicates with humans through touch. He calls his robot the ‘Haptic Creature’ and revealed that his robot is being used to probe the way touch – scientifically known as haptics – may bolster robots’ emotional relationships with humans. Previously, most robotics researchers neglect touch, and concentrate more on vision and sound instead. But now the robotic scenario is changing, and more and more research and development being carried out. Yohanan’s robot is around 35 cms long, and has shorter fur on its belly and the back of its two “ears”. Pressure sensors installed in it enable the Haptic Creature to detect the way it is touched or stroked. The robot responds with breathing movements of its body, inaudible purring vibrations, or by moving its ears. “I had a cat for many years, and what I miss most about interacting with her is touch. For example, the cat would sit in my lap while I worked at the computer – I would scratch the top of her head and hear her purr,” he said. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 162 Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Website Comment smaller \| bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage. Write the displayed characters
Last Updated ( Monday, 26 May 2008 )