Communications of the ACM
Research Team to Develop Smart Skin Applications, Sensor Garments for Robots
"Our goal is to make robots and robotic technology more human-like and more human-friendly," says University of Texas at Arlington professor Dan Popa.
Credit: University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas (UT) at Arlington researchers recently received a $1.35 million U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop human-like robots with skin and clothes embedded with sensors that can accurately perceived the environment and better assist human owners. "Our goal is to make robots and robotic technology more human-like and more human-friendly," says UT Arlington professor Dan Popa.
The project is part of the NSF's National Robotics Initiative, which aims to accelerate the development and use of robots in the United States. The initiative can address a wide range of national needs, including advanced manufacturing, logistics, transportation, homeland security, defense, medicine, healthcare, space exploration, and agriculture, according to the NSF. "This important research represents an exciting opportunity for some of our leading electrical engineers and robotics experts to collaborate and optimize their technologies for the betterment of humankind," says UT Arlington's Ron Elsenbaumer.
The researchers predict that "co-robots of the future will share their living spaces with humans, and, like people, will wear sensor skins and clothing that must be interconnected, fitted, cleaned, repaired, and replaced." The research will capitalize on a combination of embedded sensors, new algorithms, and data-networking techniques.
From University of Texas at Arlington
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