Cornell University researchers have found a new way to give robots a sense of touch. Instead of relying on sensors that measure resistance, like those used to prevent elevator doors from trapping your outstretched arm, the team created a robot hand that “feels” things by analyzing light.
The hand accomplishes this with sensors built into its “body” that measure optical wavelengths. If the light is distorted, the hand can reason that it must be touching something. If it isn't, the hand knows it's not in contact with anything. But it also knows far more than just a binary touching” or not touching.”
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