Meta is making a robot hand that can ‘feel’ touch

Meta is collaborating with GelSight, a company specializing in sensor technology, and Wonik Robotics, a South Korean robotics firm, to develop and commercialize advanced tactile sensors aimed at enhancing artificial intelligence (AI) research. Unlike consumer-level products, these sensors are designed for scientific use, enabling researchers to better understand and interact with the physical world.

The primary product of this collaboration is called Digit 360. Meta has described Digit 360 as a tactile fingertip equipped with advanced multimodal sensing capabilities that emulate human touch perception. This new sensor is an evolution of Meta’s earlier Digit sensor and is designed to digitize touch signals through an on-device AI chip. It incorporates approximately 18 distinct “sensing features,” providing the ability to detect a variety of environmental changes.

In a recent blog post, Meta elaborated on the technological advancements of Digit 360, highlighting its touch-perception-specific optical system that captures omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip surface. This sensor encompasses multiple sensing modalities to capture unique profiles of touch interactions. It can perceive vibrations, detect heat, and even identify smells, giving it a comprehensive understanding of various surfaces and their characteristics.

Researchers will be able to purchase Digit 360 in the following year. In addition, Meta has launched a call for proposals, enabling researchers to gain early access to the technology. This initiative is aimed at fostering collaboration and encouraging innovative studies that leverage the capabilities of the new sensor.

Alongside GelSight, Meta is also working with Wonik to enhance the Allegro Hand, a robotic hand that integrates tactile sensors like the Digit 360. This next generation of the Allegro Hand will utilize a specialized platform developed by Meta to seamlessly incorporate the sensors onto a single robotic hand. The upgraded Allegro Hand will include control boards that transmit data from the tactile sensors to a connected computer, allowing for more sophisticated control and interaction based on tactile feedback.

The updated Allegro Hand is set to be available for purchase next year, further expanding the ecosystem of tools available for researchers exploring the intersection of robotics and AI.

Overall, the partnership between Meta, GelSight, and Wonik Robotics is a significant step towards enhancing the sensory capabilities of AI through advanced tactile feedback mechanisms. The technologies being developed promise to enrich the research landscape and improve our understanding of how AI can interact with and learn from the physical world.