YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Today in Tech

    Tactile robotics technology will mean our robot overlords won’t crush us… on accident, at least

    We've already created robots that are better at driving, cleaning, and detecting pollution than humans, so it was only a matter of time before they outpaced our sense of touch as well. The robotics masters at USC's Viterbi School of Engineering are working on tactile technology that allows robots to identify objects simply by grabbing them.

    Using a robotic hand modeled after that of a human, the scientists overlaid rubberized "skin" capable of gripping delicate objects without crushing them. Using feedback from the fingertips — including resistance and friction readings — the robot can be trained to identify each item based on how they feel. Currently, the bot has 117 everyday materials in its memory banks, with more on the way.

    The feature could be used in the future to allow robots to test consumer goods before sending them to market. Some day, a robot hand may judge the softness of your clothing, or even how ripe your vegetables are, before you ever see them in the store.

    [via Engadget]

    This article originally appeared on Tecca

    More from Tecca:

    Loading...
    Loading...

    More Tech News

    • Wife says trucker saw bridge collapse in mirror

      MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — The wife of a Canadian trucker whose rig caused the collapse of a Washington bridge says a special vehicle called a pole car had travelled the route to make sure the load would fit.

    • Sweden's Inexplicable Riots, Explained

      For the fifth straight night, rioters have broken windows and set fire to cars in neighborhoods around Stockholm, Sweden. The violence fits the pattern, if not the scale, of other recent incidents in European cities, drawing renewed attention to the interplay of immigration, economics, and government.

    • Why is AT&T milking subscribers for an extra $500 million? ‘Because they can’

      AT&T said earlier this week that it will add a new administrative fee to each of its wireless subscribers’ monthly bills. The fee is only $0.61, which doesn’t sound like much, and an AT&T spokesperson was quick to point out to several news sites that this new fee is lower than similar fees charged by rival carriers. Subscribers were still outraged. Now that the shouting has died down a bit, however, people are looking for a batter explanation for the new charge they’ll see each month. According to one industry watcher, that explanation couldn’t be simpler: “Because they can.” “Why would AT&T do this? Because they can, and it is all in the pricing strategy,” Joe Hoffman, principal analyst at ABI Research

    • No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

      Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

    • Dog Found Standing Guard Over a Tornado Victim Reunited With Her Owner

      There's a happy ending to the story of a dog, found alive in the rubble after a massive tornado devastated Moore, Oklahoma: she's been reunited with her owner.

    • A-Rod sells Miami Beach home for $30M

      MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has sold his Miami Beach home for $30 million.

    • Missing University of Rhode Island Student Found in North Carolina

      Matthew Royer Did Not Show Up at His Pennsylvania Home or Summer Job

    • California reveals prices for health insurance under Obamacare

      By Sharon Bernstein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California unveiled prices on Thursday that consumers will pay for a selection of health plans offered through the state under the Affordable Care Act, providing a glimpse into how health care reform may look as it is rolled out across the nation. Under the federal health care reform law, Californians who do not get or cannot afford health insurance through their jobs can buy coverage through an exchange, at a group rate negotiated by state regulators. ...

    Loading...

    Follow Yahoo! News