Beard rescue robot

Two British scientists built a bearded robot to detect natural disaster survivors, or victims trapped in burning buildings.

Long stubble on the robot head moves back and forth 5 times per second to detect objects.(Photo: Newscientist)

Tony Prescott, an inventor of the University of Sheffield and expert Anthony Pipe of Bristol University, simulated the mechanism of perceiving the surrounding environment to create new robots. They call it SCRATCHbot . Long stubble on the robot head moves back and forth about 5 times per second to detect objects near it. If a beard touches something, the control software will locate and orient the head and body of the robot so that the hard hairs on its nose can touch the object.

Many robots use sensors to support cameras, but SCRATCHbot relies only on artificial fibers to feel its surroundings. Unlike many mouse-like robots, SCRATCHbot changes the way the beard moves when it touches an obstacle. The closest antennae to the body will move slowly and at least. Meanwhile the antennae far from the object will sweep more aggressively to increase the chance of touching obstacles and determine its location.

The design team claims that the next version of SCRATCHbot will be able to distinguish different types of surfaces (such as carpets or hardwood floors), deciding how to navigate based on the surface it approaches.

Although SCRATCHbot's main task is to participate in rescue operations, it can also help scientists learn how mammalian brains control the movement of tactile parts like beards.