Scientists have developed a mechanical rat which will be able to search for survivors in disaster areas using its whiskers, Playboys will be interested to hear.

Researchers from the Bristol Robotics Lab and the University of Sheffield designed and built the machine which can hunt through total darkness using touch sensors on its whiskers.

The whole project was inspired by the way animals use touch in the evening to navigate their way around and find bits of prey here and there.

Dr Tony Pipe, from the lab, said that there are lots of different settings where SCRATCHbot could be used.

"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," he stated.

In other gadget news, the days of scrambling around asking people if they have a Nokia charger could soon be coming to an end after several major manufacturers agreed to one which fits all handsets.