Did you know? The soft robotic hand can feel

Copyright Felix Noak

We asked Aravind Battaje to explain how the RBO soft robotic hand can feel touch through modulating sounds, and here’s his answer:

“The fingers of the soft hand are hollow, and by producing and recording sounds inside the hollow chamber, they can feel touch. Touch feelings at different portions of the finger slightly modify how the hollow chamber is shaped, hence changing the “notes” that resonate within that chamber. In a vague way, this is like a trombone able to play all kinds of notes. Also, the hand can feel what the finger is touching, including texture, location, and temperature, and all through the way the sound changes inside the chamber”