MagTip

MagTip is a compact, high-resolution magnetic tactile sensor designed to equip robots with a sense of touch. Engineered specifically for integration into robotic grippers and anthropomorphic hands, its fingertip-inspired design replicates the size and shape of a human fingertip—the critical area for tactile feedback during dexterous manipulation of tools and delicate objects. By employing advanced machine learning models, MagTip achieves real-time contact detection and precise 3D localisation with sub-millimetre accuracy. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that MagTip significantly outperforms the current state-of-the-art in magnetic tactile sensing, providing a 50–66.7% improvement in contact localisation accuracy. Additionally, its exceptionally compact form factor enables one of the smallest designs available while simultaneously achieving the highest taxel density and lowest localisation errors among magnetic tactile sensors. The vision for MagTip is to empower general-purpose humanoid robots with the sense of touch essential for achieving dexterity comparable to human hands, enabling more natural and intuitive interactions with objects, people, and the environment. Beyond humanoid robotics, MagTip holds the potential for enhancing prosthetics, improving human-robot interaction, and advancing precision tasks in industrial automation.

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  • Organization
    Bristol Robotics Laboratory
  • Profession
    Giving robots the sense of touch