The reason for the user-friendly exterior lies in the fact the Ri-Man's future role will see it lifting bed-ridden or otherwise-disabled patients to carry them around their homes, hospitals or rehabilitation centres. Underneath that silicone skin are over 300 sensors and tiny motors that monitor how hard the human payload is pressing down and adjust the skin tension accordingly to make the ride more comfortable.
The machine's creators added an odour-detecting nose to enable it to detect scents such as gas and human urine, which is definitely a first for any robot we know.
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