Soft skin, sharp senses: New robotic ‘touch’ sees danger before it hits

Soft robots need advanced sensing to safely interact with humans, but combining multiple sensors in soft materials is difficult. Researchers have developed a new vision-based sensing system called ProTac that allows a robot to switch between touch and proximity sensing using a soft skin that changes transparency. Integrated into robot arms, ProTac enables safer and more precise control. This innovation offers a scalable solution for improving human-robot interaction in complex, real-world environments.