• Robots That Can "Feel"

    From c186282@21:1/5 to All on Fri Jul 18 00:00:32 2025
    https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-dexterous-robotic-thermal-inertial-sensors.html

    Dexterous robotic hand integrates thermal, inertial and
    force sensors

    . . .

    'Nature' has had 600 million+ years.

    Try to swat that mosquito buzzing around
    your head. Absolute pin-prick brain, but
    you can't beat it - and it navigates
    quick in 3-D.

    Movement in the Real World involves a few
    inputs ... 'proprioception' - just knowing
    where all your parts are are oriented,
    is VERY important. YOU can 'just feel it',
    don't even have to think about it, deep
    neural sub-systems take care of it all.
    NOT so easy with digital solutions.

    Imagine if you just went totally numb - no
    not paralyzed, just numb. There ARE a few
    medical conditions that can produce that
    locally or totally. Most common micro-
    experience may be after you've had a lot
    of novicaine at the dentists ... you can't
    feel your lips and tongue. Serious risk
    of self-mutilation or even choking for a
    few hours. Proprioception is IMPORTANT.
    It's a key part of "What Is ME".

    Conventional 'digital' solutions are NOT so good
    at this stuff. Yer robot or factory machine can
    not "just feel it". We try to cheat with a few
    algos ... but so far that's only JUST so good.
    The fixes are not "just know", but numeric
    approximations.

    MAYbe 25 years on, "just know" will become
    the integrated sub-system it is in animals.
    'Animals', 600 million+ year field testing.

    Oh, read yer sci-fi, may NOT be the best thing :-)

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