Sensitive, Smart and Strong - Too Bad it's Just a R...( For decades ...),Health

For decades, researchers have dreamed of creating robots with human-like abilities. Now an interdisciplinary team of European researchers has developed a robotic arm and hand that moves and 'senses' like a human, and is controlled by a human-inspired electronic 'brain'. Can a real C-3PO be far behind?

(PRWEB) July 23, 2008 -- For decades, researchers have dreamed of creating robots with human-like abilities. Now an interdisciplinary team of European researchers has developed a robotic arm and hand that moves and 'senses' like a human, and is controlled by a human-inspired electronic 'brain'. Can a real C-3PO be far behind?

"Hollywood did a bad job for us," says Patrick van der Smagt, the coordinator of SENSOPAC, an EU-funded project whose goal is to create a robotic arm, hand and brain with human-like physical and cognitive capabilities.

While the movies have convinced many people that humanoid robots, such as C-3PO or WALL-E are realistic, van der Smagt knows all too well how difficult it is to build robots with even basic human abilities.

Yet robots that could function flexibly and safely alongside people in everyday environments could revolutionise daily life.

Existing robots, such as those that help assemble cars or computers, can perform repetitive actions quickly and precisely. However, says van der Smagt, "they are not very intelligent or flexible and they don't do very much sensing".

The international team of neuroscientists and roboticists that he leads decided that the best way to make a robot that is intelligent, flexible
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