SCRATCHbot–the latest in whisker technology

At the Bristol Robotics Lab, someone sensed a rat…and decided to take notes.

The new SCRATCHbot (Spatial Cognition and Representation through Active TouCH) technology from the combined efforts of the Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of Sheffield represents another important advancement in the development of animal-inspired artificial intelligence. The robot is equipped with a micro-vibrissae array of 18 "whiskers" that perform a sweeping motion similar to a real rodent’s whiskers, allowing the device to determine the size and shape of the object in front of it.

While robots have traditionally depended on sight to identify their surroundings, this new technology relies exclusively on touch technology. In an article in the Yorkshire Post, Professor Tony Prescott, of Sheffield University’s Psychology Department, explained what the SCRATCHbot technology has achieved for robotics. Prescott said, "our project has reached a significant milestone in the development of actively-controlled, whisker-like sensors for intelligent machines. Although touch sensors are already employed in robots, the use of touch as a principal modality has been overlooked until now."

Dr. Tony Pipe, of the Bristol Robotics Lab, explained that this whisker-based sensory technology allows the SCRATCHbot to easily sense objects and maneuver within difficult environments where sight-based devices normally could not. Pipe described how "future applications for this technology could include using robots underground, under the sea, or in extremely dusty conditions, where vision is often a seriously compromised sensory modality…in a smoke filled room for example, a robot like this could help with a rescue operation by locating survivors of a fire."

The SCRATCHbot is only one part of the Integrating Cognition, Emotion and Autonomy (ICEA) Project, funded by IST Cognitive Systems Unit, which began back in 2006. The ultimate goal of the ICEA Project is to develop a cognitive systems architecture that successfully integrates cognitive, emotional, and bioregulatory (self-maintenance) processes, based on the architecture and physiology of the mammalian brain. Prescott commented, "by developing these biomimetic robots, we are not just designing novel touch-sensing devices, but also making a real contribution to understanding the biology of tactile sensing."

So before you go to set up that mousetrap, remember that the technology based on that pesky rodent might just save your life one day.