Robot Ready for Dangerous Lab Jobs

Science Lab Robots
The Mahoro lab android can take on dangerous jobs in the lab and do them faster than humans. (Image credit: DigInfo News)

Need to run infection tests with dangerous influenza strains or work with radioactive lab materials? A new lab robot can take on such dangerous tasks and pipette liquids with a precision rivaling the best human hands.

The Mahoro lab android not only did work better compared to veteran lab technicians, but also completed its tasks in half the time, according to DigInfo News. Simulations allow the Mahoro robot to learn new duties in a virtual Matrix-style environment so that it can do the job perfectly the first time in real life.

Perhaps the biggest key to Mahoro's success comes from its ability to mimic what human hands can do in lab settings. The Japanese robot's arms have seven joints that allow it to mimic elbow function alongside hands and arm movements.

This represents just a small part of the robotic revolution sweeping across different industries and taking over jobs once done by humans. Sometimes humans gladly step aside to allow robots to do dirty or dangerous jobs — but more often than not robots have simply proven themselves faster, smarter and more efficient. [Pentagon's Robot Sewing Machines Aim at China's Factories]

Source: DigInfo News

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Live Science Staff
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