How can a robot feel what it holds?

Cameras see the scene. Touch sensors can reveal what happens at contact.

Contact matters

An object may look secure while slipping between the fingers. Contact measurements can help a controller adjust its grasp. Useful information may include force, pressure patterns or surface deformation.

Different sensors, different information

Some tactile sensors use cameras to observe a deformable surface. Others measure force or pressure through different mechanisms. Coverage, sampling, calibration and durability matter as much as a sensor count.

Look for the feedback loop

When you watch a gentle grasp, ask whether touch data actually changes the motion. A hand containing sensors is not proof that a demonstrated task uses them.