Robotics has advanced quickly in vision, planning and mobility. Robots can identify objects, navigate complex environments and execute increasingly sophisticated movements. Yet many real-world handling tasks remain difficult to automate because they depend on something more basic: touch.

Vision can tell a robot where an object is. It cannot always tell the robot how firmly to grip, whether the object is starting to slip, or how a surface is responding during contact. That matters in warehouses, factories, food production, laboratories and future humanoid systems, where objects are often flexible, delicate, reflective, tightly packed or irregular.

Tactile sensing adds a missing layer of information. It helps robotic systems detect contact, control force, respond to slip and interpret surface cues. This can make manipulation more reliable and reduce dependence on carefully controlled conditions.

The next generation of robotics will not be defined by vision alone. Robots that can feel what they touch will be better equipped to work in the real world.

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