Without the capability to hold, touch, lift, gesticulate, clean or use the hands and fingers, humans would only function partially in any living environment. So too, would robots if they cannot master such simple human activities.\u00a0One of the technical challenges researchers face today is developing near-human-like robotic hands\u00a0or multi-fingered – parallel mechanisms and articulated movements \u2013 grasps, which must not only be robust, but also contain a large dexterity to carry out difficult tasks in radioactive environments, extreme temperatures and polluted air as well as enable safe human interactions.<\/p>\n
To undertake such tasks, robots require accurate and sophisticated sense of touch. Some of the universities advancing such functionalities include Virginia Tech, Laval University in Canada, the University of the West of England and\u00a0the research collaboration between\u00a0Cornell University, the University of\u00a0Chicago and\u00a0iRobot.<\/p>\n
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