Northwestern University Researchers are developing a robot with sensory whiskers. As eported in engadget- “The whiskers can sense shapes or the flow of liquid, all based on a single sensor at the base of each whisker. Even more impressively, the whiskers can accurately represent the contour of an object, just by brushing across it. There are plenty of uses for the sensors, such as feeling around in the dark, supplementing cameras and avoiding obstacles.”  What’s really important here is the de-humanification (yes that’s my new word) of robots.  Too many of hte medical robots are build on a humanoid model and we need to expand our thinking to designs that complement not imitate our bodies.   I don’t want to see medical robots with hands I want to see graspers and claws and insect limbs and things that enable me to do what my body cannot.