Security Research – Making Robots More Sensitive - Tomorrow Today, 02.03.2008

One of the earliest visions of science fiction authors is a world where people and robots work together. This vision is long since a reality in many factories. But until now, robots have lacked some essential abilities: sensitivity and consideration toward their human colleagues. Robots can pose a physical danger in the working world. Scientists in several German research labs are trying to develop sensitive robots. For example, a robot that can see in three dimensions and reacts immediately when a human enters its safety zone. Another model is the yielding robot. It responds to obstacles as elastically as a rubber doll; its steel arms can be pushed to the side with a slight hand gesture.