by The Robot Report Staff

GelSight, a developer of tactile technology, and Meta AI have announced Digit 360, a next-generation tactile sensor for robotic fingers. This release marks the latest phase of the partnership between the companies, which began in 2021 with the launch of the original Digit tactile sensor.

Digit 360 is equipped with more than 18 sensing features. According to the companies, these will enable advancements in touch perception research and provide researchers with options to combine multiple sensing modalities or isolate individual signals for deeper analysis of each sensing component.

The new tactile-specific optical lens can detect surface imprints across the entire artificial fingertip, capturing fine-grained details about the object being touched.

“GelSight and Meta AI share the same vision to make tactile sensing more ubiquitous and accessible,” said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO of GelSight. “Digit 360 will advance the digitization of touch and unlock new applications in robotics with its ability to capture omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip surface.”

GelSight, known for its imaging-based tactile intelligence, has proprietary technology originated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Its elastomeric 3D imaging systems are used in aerospace, automotive, forensics, and robotics research laboratories worldwide.

Digit 360 and the future of touch-based robotics

Digit 360 can perceive imprints all around the fingertip thanks to its optical sensing system, enabling highly detailed readings of contact surfaces. Researchers can use this technology to develop AI systems that better understand and model real-world physical interactions, including object properties, contact physics, and human-object interaction.

The sensor can detect minute changes in spatial detail and sense forces as small as 1 millinewton, making it suitable for advanced applications in dexterous manipulation.

Beyond robotics, GelSight said Digit 360 can be applied in medicine, prosthetics, virtual reality, telepresence, and other fields. For virtual environments, the sensor can help create more realistic representations of object properties beyond visuals alone. Meta AI also committed to open-sourcing all code and designs developed using Digit 360.

Meta AI integrates sensors with Wonik Robotics

Meta AI has also partnered with South Korea–based Wonik Robotics to develop a new generation of the Allegro Hand, which will include tactile sensors like Digit 360. Built on the Meta Digit Plexus platform, the next Allegro Hand aims to simplify sensor integration and accelerate robotics research.

Wonik Robotics will manufacture and distribute the new Allegro Hand, which is scheduled for release next year. “Wonik Robotics and Meta FAIR aim to introduce robotic hands to global companies, research institutes, and universities so they can continue developing robotic hand technology that is safe and helpful to humankind,” said Dr. Yonmook Park, Executive Director and Head of Future Technology at Wonik Robotics.

Original Article