One of the most useful things about robots is that they don’t feel pain. Because of this, we have no problem putting them to work in dangerous environments or having them perform tasks that range between slightly unpleasant and definitely fatal to a human. And yet, a pair of German researchers believes that, in some cases, feeling and reacting to pain might be a good capability for robots to have, mostly because pain is a system that protects us. Researchers from Leibnitz University are developing an artificial nervous system aimed at teaching robots how to feel pain. As well as allowing robots to quickly respond to potential damage to their systems, it could also protect humans who are increasingly working alongside them. The scientists plan to base the system on "insights from human pain research". To test it, they fitted a robotic arm with a fingertip sensor that could detect pressure and temperature. Just as human neurons transmit pain, the artificial ones will pass on information that can be classified by the robot as either light, moderate or severe pain. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36387563 http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-software/.V0cSmwERC4w.reddit
"People think robots can't feel pain, but we actually feel it in slow motion, with great intensity! This robot died in horrific agony." --Claptrap.
The problem with pain is that it doesn't shut the **** up after you get the message. The warning system becomes the problem. All robots need is sensors to detect actual danger and then let them decide how to respond, not prevent them from responding effectively.