In search of a robot more like us

July 12, 2011 | Source: New York Times
ARM Robot

Robotic arms and hands (credit: DARPA)

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is underwriting three competing efforts by SRI International, Sandia National Laboratories, and iRobot to develop robotic arms and hands one-tenth as expensive as today’s systems (which often cost $100,000 or more).

Designing a robot to mimic the basic capabilities of motion and perception would be revolutionary, researchers say, with applications stretching from care for the elderly to returning overseas manufacturing operations to the United States.