` ` Shrewbot '' aims to test whether artificial whiskers can help a human navigate . Robotics expert John Winfield suggests they could be useful for planetary rovers . He also wants to work on soft robotics that could aid space exploration . So - called ' soft robots ' might be able to adapt to an alien planet 's environment , he says .
`` Shrewbot '' aims to test whether artificial whiskers could help a robot navigate . Robotics expert Alan Winfield suggests they could be useful for planetary rovers . He also points to work on soft robotics that could aid space exploration . So-called 'swarm robots ' might be able to adapt to an alien planet 's environment , he says .