Men lack sensitivity when it comes to touch – but there’s a natural fix

Touch is a vital sense in human survival and experience, not for just how it informs personal connections but as an important early warning system for identifying harm. Yet not all touch is equal. Scientists recently discovered how men have lower touch… Continue reading Men lack sensitivity when it comes to touch – but there’s a natural fix

Proximity-sensing film lets people communicate by blinking

Human-machine interfaces such as smartphone screens would be a lot cleaner and longer-lasting if we didn’t have to actually touch the darn things. Scientists have now created a proximity-sensing film which makes such a scenario more possible and practi… Continue reading Proximity-sensing film lets people communicate by blinking

Hypersensitive touch sensor ‘feels’ things from 4 inches away

Using a 3D-printed material sensitive to electric fields, researchers have created a novel sensor that can accurately recognize and distinguish objects up to 10 centimeters – about four inches – away without needing to touch them physically. The touchl… Continue reading Hypersensitive touch sensor ‘feels’ things from 4 inches away

MiniTouch lets existing prosthetic hands relay a sense of temperature

There are already a number of experimental prosthetic hands that provide users with the tactile sensation of touching an object. The MiniTouch system takes things further, as it allows users to sense the temperature of items that they’re touching.Conti… Continue reading MiniTouch lets existing prosthetic hands relay a sense of temperature

Phantom VR glove delivers a sense of touch, but leaves fingers free

There are now a number of high-tech gloves that deliver tactile sensations to VR users’ fingertips when they touch virtual objects or surfaces. The Phantom glove is unique, however, in that it doesn’t cover the fingers, leaving them free for real-world… Continue reading Phantom VR glove delivers a sense of touch, but leaves fingers free

Ultrathin electronic tattoo puts haptic feedback at users fingertips

Researchers have developed an ultrathin electronic tattoo capable of reproducing the localized sensation of touch in its wearer. The device has the potential to be used to manufacture lightweight, portable haptic displays and devices for healthcare and… Continue reading Ultrathin electronic tattoo puts haptic feedback at users fingertips

GelSight Svelte tech gives robotic fingers a full-length sense of touch

While there are a number of optical systems that provide robotic hands with a sense of touch, most of those systems are flat, so they’re confined to the fingertips. A new MIT system, however, works along the entire length of each finger.Continue Readin… Continue reading GelSight Svelte tech gives robotic fingers a full-length sense of touch

Scientists give robots a sense of touch – by knitting them a sweater

In order to keep from accidentally hurting their human coworkers, many industrial robots have sensors that detect physical contact with people or other objects. Scientists have now devised a high-tech sweater which brings this functionality to robots t… Continue reading Scientists give robots a sense of touch – by knitting them a sweater