Robotic dodecahedron searches the deep sea for new species

The robotic dodecahedron (circled) mounted on a submersible

The robotic dodecahedron (circled) mounted on a submersible Brennan Phillips A robotic dodecahedron can capture fragile deep-sea animals to collect tissues samples and construct three-dimensional scans of the creatures, potentially speeding up the cataloguing of the up to 66 per cent of ocean species that are yet to be described by science. Brennan Phillips at …

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Artificial pain sensors could help robots avoid damaging themselves

Artificial skin that can sense potentially harmful forces could help robots detect danger, in a similar way to how pain helps people avoid hazards. In humans, painful sensations come from a complex interplay between peripheral nerve signals and the brain’s interpretation of them. Electrical spikes sent by pain sensors in the skin, called nociceptors, are …

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