The device has been built by a team of experts from Liverpool Hope University, who say it’s the first sensor that can trigger this ‘sensory impulse’ that the robotics community has seen.
The researchers said their system is so robust it can measure temperature changes of 30°C per second - similar to how someone might quickly pull their hand away from the threat of being burned.
The wireless, Wi-Fi enabled sensor could have numerous real-world applications, from space exploration to surgical procedures and even creating "thermo-sensitive soft robots in the near future".
Alexander Co Abad, lead author on the study, said: “This feature could be useful for soft robots to act equivalent to humans’ withdrawal reflex in touching hot surfaces in search and rescue, industrial applications and space explorations.”
Giving robots a real ‘sense of touch’ could help them to be more adept in complex environments.
“Although psychologists often state that vision...