Scientists develop robot with 'sensitive' hexagonal plate skin that has a sense of touch

Robots that can feel heat and have a sense of touch are on the verge of becoming a reality.

Small hexagonal plates which form a sensitive skin for 'machines with brains' have been developed by scientists.

This will not only help robots to better navigate in their environments, it will also enable robot self-perception for the first time, researchers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) said.

Future bot: A robot that can feel heat and has a sense of touch is being developed by scientists

A single robotic arm has already been partially-equipped with sensors and proves that the concept works.

Human skin is a communicative wonder - the nerves convey temperature, pressure, shear forces and vibrations, from the finest breath of air to touch to pain.

At the same time, the skin is the organ by which we set ourselves apart from our environment and distinguish between environment and body.

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