Why scientists want robots to learn to feel pain

Robots are one step closer to being able to experience an essential human feeling: pain. Researchers in Germany are creating a "nervous system" that would mimic a pain response in robots, allowing them to quickly react and avoid harmful situations. "Pain is a system that protects us," researcher Johannes Kuehn told a conference of engineers last week. "When we evade from the source of pain, it helps us not get hurt." The researchers programmed their robot to experience a "hierarchy" of pain through a variety of stimuli, such as blunt force or heat. Depending on the threat, such as a harsh movement or intense heat, the robot is programmed to retract to the danger.