Robots with tact

Artificial hands, even the most sophisticated prostheses, are still by far inferior to human hands. What they lack are the tactile abilities crucial for dexterity. Other challenges include linking sensing to action within the robotic system – and effectively linking it to the human user. Prof. Dr. Philipp Beckerle from FAU has joined with international colleagues to summarize the latest findings in this field of Robotics – and establish an agenda for future research. Their piece in the research journal Science Robotics suggests a sensorimotor control framework for haptically enabled robotic hands, inspired by principles of the human's central nervous system.