Robot can outperform humans in identifying natural materials

According to a statement, a team at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering has published a study showing that a specially designed robot can outperform humans in identifying a wide range of natural materials according to their textures. The study could help advance prostheses, personal assistive robots and consumer product testing.

The robot was equipped with a new type of tactile sensor built to mimic the human fingertip. It also used a newly designed algorithm to make decisions about how to explore the outside world by imitating human strategies.

The sensor also has the ability to tell where and in which direction forces are applied to the fingertip and even the thermal properties of an object being touched.

Like the human finger, the group’s BioTac sensor has a soft, flexible skin over a liquid filling. The skin even has fingerprints on its surface that greatly enhance its sensitivity to vibration.