the article
Whiskers on robots while sounds like a new and untested concept, rest assured, it is nothing new. As far as whiskers are concerned they are switch attached to something sticking out from it in such as way as to transmit to the switch when an obstacle has been encountered to warn the bot when it is about to run into the obstacle. These whiskers are quite a bit like sonar or radar, except they are cheaper, simpler and sometimes, more robust. The current generation of whiskers are inspired a great deal by biology so they can provide sensing capabilities in very dark and cluttered environments. The next generation of whiskers are in development and are smaller and 10 times more sensitive.
future implications
These whiskers could be placed on bots to be sent into burning buildings when smoke is too thick to see clearly and fire fighters are liable to get lost. These bots would be sent into to map the area so fire fighters wouldn't be entering the building blind. These whiskers are also sensitive enough to be able to sense gases. These whiskers could be used to determine wind speed and direction.