The robots of today can “think” for themselves and many of them can “see.” It’s no longer the realm of science fiction books and movies to see robots operating independently of a human operating a switch or a remote control device.
There is a group of scientists who have created a robot that they say can “recover from damage” and they say this robot can also “mimic the adaptive powers of humans and animals.” What this means is that robot technology may eventually be used as first responders in dangerous situations such as natural disasters.
One of the scientists in the study believes that robot technology can be engineered to survive and operate in environments that would be too hostile for humans to enter. Scientists know though that if the robots are damaged during deployment into dangerous areas they would need a way to “repair” themselves and continue on to complete their mission.
Adaptive technologies for “self-repairing” robots mimic what humans and animals do when they get injured. If a human hurts his foot, he will favor it, but be able to continue moving by putting more weight onto his opposite foot. Researchers are looking at ways to have the robots employ adaptive skills in the even they take damage during a mission.
One of the technologies that are a part of robot technology of this kind are custom lenses that allow the robot to “see” where it is going and to send images back to computer monitors.
UKA Optics is a manufacturer of custom lenses that are used in multiple industries including medical and technical fields and robotics.