The dynamic system of touch is truly one of the most intriguing enigmas in physics, for it has not been formally addressed or solved by Isaac Newton and all the physicists since Newton for the past three hundred years, yet Japanese Sixth Generation Computer Science, Robotics, failed because robots could not touch; a robot finger bounces of a surface, as a ball bounces off a racket. Up to now, there are only three people who have formally defined and solved the problem of touch: the Principal Investigator of this research Hugh Ching, the Founder of Post-Science, Ta-You Wu, the Father of Chinese Physics, and T. L. Kunii, the Founder of the Department of Information Science at the University of Tokyo. This research will demonstrate with both computer simulations and actual physical experiments the problem and the solution of touch. The long-term goal of overcoming this bottleneck of the solution of touch is to allow the transformation of the current low-tech auto industry into a high-tech robotics industry.
Ta-You Wu coined the word "jumpulse" to denote a sudden change of force, as Newton's impulse is a sudden change of momentum. Touch or collision without bounce shares the same physical concept of jumpulse with prolonged contact in sports. Touch can be considered permanent prolonged contact, but at zero speed. In this research, simulations and physical experiments will be performed on both touch and prolonged contact. It is expected that if sufficient jumpulse is applied within a sufficiently precise time interval during the impact, a fast moving ball can be carried on a racket for a prolonged period of time. This research will settle, once for all, whether the solution of touch exists or not, even before the problem is fully realized by physicists and coaches of sports, such as tennis and table tennis.
The solution of touch plays a small, yet vital, role in the overall scheme of mankind's ultimate goal of self-creation. All the mobile creations of nature, namely, humans, animals, and insects, can touch, but not a single man-made object can touch. Touch has been taken for granted by scientist because touch is a common everyday occurrence. The ability of a mobile machine to safely come into contact with an uncontrolled environment should be considered one of the most important design features in a dynamic system, albeit is also likely the most difficult. In fact, because of its significance, the ability of touch should define a robot. A robot should be defined as an intelligent machine with the ability of touch.
As a long-term vision, touch is an essential design criterion of a Self-Manufacturing General Purpose Robot, which will be programmed by completely automated software. And, in the process of mankind's self-creation, the Robot will become humans, and software, DNA. The current non-competitive US auto industry should be transformed into a robotics industry because the auto industry currently uses more robots than any other industry. There should be a massive initial public funding, instead of the bailouts.
Intellectual Merit: This research will demonstrate with computer simulations and physical experiments one of the most subtle problems in physics dealing with dynamic contact without bounce or touch. The solution of touch is based on the new physics of jumpulse, a fundamental physics concept missed by Isaac Newton and is still largely denied by most physicists and coaches of sports.
Broader Transformative Impact: A robot should be defined as an intelligent machine with the ability of touch. The ability will transform the current low-tech auto industry into a high-tech robotics industry.