The science of human touch – and why it’s so hard to replicate in robots - Robohub

The article by Perla Maiolino from the University of Oxford explores the complexity of human touch and the challenges in replicating it in robots. While robots have advanced significantly in visual perception and navigation, their ability to touch objects gently, safely, and meaningfully remains limited. Human touch is highly sophisticated, involving multiple types of mechanoreceptors in the skin that detect various stimuli such as vibration, stretch, and texture. Moreover, touch is an active sense, involving constant movement and adjustment to transform raw sensory input into perception. Replicating this dynamic and distributed sensory system across a robot’s entire soft body, and enabling it to interpret the rich sensory data, presents a formidable challenge. The article also highlights the concept of distributed or embodied intelligence, where behavior emerges from the interaction between body, material, and environment rather than centralized brain control. The octopus is cited as an example, with most of its neurons located in its limbs, allowing local adaptation and movement. This principle is influential in soft robotics,