The SCRATCHbot can track down objects using its sensory whiskers and was today called a "significant milestone" in the development of animal-inspired artificial intelligence.

Its creators at the Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of Sheffield said robots which use sensory feelers, rather than vision, were much more effective in the dark or in smoky rooms - rescue conditions.

The new SCRATCHbot (Spatial Cognition and Representation through Active TouCh) technology has been inspired by the use of touch in the animal kingdom.

Robots have traditionally relied on sight to identify objects, but the new technology relies only on touch technology - enabling robots to function in disaster zones.

The robot rat mimics the "sweeping motion" of a real rodent's whiskers to determine the size and shape of the object in front of it.

The new technology also has the potential to be used underground, under the sea, or even in vacuum cleaners "to sense textures for optimal cleaning".

A team of international scientists will see the SCRATCHbot in action tonight at the University of Sheffield.

Dr Tony Pipe, of the Bristol Robotics Lab, said today: "Active touch sensing is a key focus for those of us looking at biological systems which have implications for robotics research.

"Sensory systems such as rats' whiskers have some particular advantages in this area. In humans, for example, where sensors are at the fingertips, they are more vulnerable to damage and injury than whiskers.

"Rats have the ability to operate with damaged whiskers and in theory broken whiskers on robots could be easily replaced, without affecting the whole robot and its expensive engineering.

"Future applications for this technology could include using robots underground, under the sea, or in extremely dusty conditions, where vision is often a seriously compromised sensory modality. Here, whisker technology could be used to sense objects and manoeuvre in a difficult environment.

"In a smoke filled room for example, a robot like this could help with a rescue operation by locating survivors of a fire. This research builds on previous work we have done on whisker sensing."

Professor Tony Prescott, of Sheffield University's Psychology Department added: "Our project has reached a significant milestone in the development of actively-controlled, whisker-like sensors for intelligent machines. Although touch sensors are already employed in robots, the use of touch as a principal modality has been overlooked until now.

"By developing these biomimetic robots, we are not just designing novel touch-sensing devices, but also making a real contribution to understanding the biology of tactile sensing."