University of Leeds developing artificial finger for sensory studies
If you were a tad freaked out by a robotic hand clothed in cucumbers, we promise this one's a bit tamer. A team of researchers at the University of Leeds have put forth a proposal to create an "artificial finger" in order to better understand why we react differently to different textures / surfaces. The finger will purportedly be used in testing rigs that "measure variables such as friction and compliance," and when combined with data from "a series of self-report experiments," the team aims to identity relationships between certain surface profiles and emotions. Of course, this kind of analysis would be a marketers dream come true, and let's face it, you know we couldn't resist picking up a Winnie the Pooh DAP that was inexplicably fuzzy.
[Via Core77]
