Scientists got the idea for this robot from observing actual mice. They noticed that mice moved with extreme ease and balance. This is in part due to their whiskers. A mouse's whiskers ask as an "extension" on their senses. Scientists decided to apply this to a robot. Researchers from the University of Tokyo and the University of Zurich in Switzerland. They named it the Artificial Mouse or the AMouse. They attached real mouse whiskers to a robot which it uses for navigation along with other sensory inputs. The researchers hope to create an adaptive autonomous robot that can recognize objects, navigate, and store memory.
The Article
Another article on the AMouse
The idea for this robot is very inventive. Mice are able to use their whiskers to achieve greater balance and navigation. It makes sense that this ability could be effectively applied to a robot. The use of the whiskers could be used to create a robot that could navigate completely autonomously. Also a robot that can recognize objects and remember things would be very useful. The article also mentions that eh robot could be used for "repair work in tight places, detecting hazardous glass, [and] exploring confined surroundings." This would be very useful. However the robot still need a lot of development before it is ready for such everyday use.
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