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There are bionic eyes, ears and even noses and robots can see and hear even better than humans. But a sense of touch is still a challenge. So a group of European researchers turned to whiskers for inspiration. Humans can sense quite a bit with their fingertips, but animals like cats and mice use whiskers as a touch sensor. One reason for looking to whiskers (otherwise known as vibrissae) is that they're more durable than skin-like sensors placed on robotic fingers, which get a lot of wear and tear. Whiskers are also good for dark places where a camera might not be able to see.
