Imagine picking up a glass — your fingers automatically adjust pressure so you don't crush it or drop it. Robots and prosthetic hands can't do this well because they lack a real sense of touch. NeuTouch studied how the human nervous system processes touch signals and used those principles to build better tactile sensors and control software for robots and artificial hands. The result is machines that can feel what they're gripping and react accordingly, much like your own hand does without you thinking about it.
Robots in factories and warehouses still can't reliably handle objects of different shapes, weights, and fragility because they lack a true sense of touch. Prosthetic hand users frequently reject their devices because they provide no tactile feedback — the hand feels dead. Both problems trace back to the same gap: machines don't understand touch the way humans do.
The project delivered 18 outputs including a demonstrated robot setup for tactile-based grasping and manipulation. Specific results include control strategies for using knobs and switches with tactile input, systems that integrate visual and tactile information for accurate object modeling, and tactile sensors with spiking neural readout integrated on robot manipulators.
If you are a prosthetic device manufacturer struggling with user rejection rates because artificial hands feel numb and unnatural — this project developed tactile feedback systems that convey real contact sensations to amputees, making prostheses easier to use and accept. Their work integrated tactile sensors with neural-inspired readout on manipulators, directly applicable to next-generation prosthetic hands.
If you are a robotics company whose grippers damage delicate parts or can't handle objects of varying shapes — this project built control strategies for tactile-based grasping and manipulation, including using knobs and switches with tactile input. Their sensor integration lets robots feel slip, vibrations, and pressure changes in real time, reducing breakage and increasing handling versatility.
If you are building robots that physically interact with humans in homes, hospitals, or warehouses — this project developed methods to integrate visual and tactile information for accurate object recognition and safe handling. Robots equipped with this touch sensing can cooperate with people and handle everyday objects without causing harm or dropping items.
The project data does not include licensing terms or pricing. NeuTouch was an MSCA training network coordinated by Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, so IP likely resides across the 14-partner consortium. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing arrangements for specific components.
The project demonstrated tactile-based grasping and manipulation on robot setups, including control strategies for knobs and switches. However, as a training network focused on research, large-scale industrial deployment was not the primary goal. The 5 industry partners in the consortium could help bridge the gap to production-ready integration.
IP from MSCA-ITN projects is typically shared across the consortium of 14 partners from 8 countries, including 5 industry partners and 4 SMEs. Specific IP allocation depends on each partner's contribution. The coordinator at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia can clarify ownership of specific results.
Based on available project data, the technology reached demonstration level — robots were set up for tactile-based grasping and manipulation tasks. This is research-to-prototype stage, not plug-and-play. Further engineering and integration work would be needed for commercial deployment.
The project delivered tactile sensors with spiking readout integrated on manipulators, plus systems that combine visual and tactile information for accurate object modeling. A total of 18 deliverables were produced, including a demonstrated robot setup for grasping and manipulation tasks.
Based on available project data, the core research ran from 2019 to 2023. The demonstrated components — tactile grasping, sensor integration, control strategies — exist as research prototypes. Adapting them for a specific commercial application would likely require additional development, depending on your use case and existing robot platform.
NeuTouch brought together 14 partners from 8 countries, with a healthy 36% industry ratio — 5 industry partners including 4 SMEs alongside 8 universities and 1 research organization. The coordinator, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, is one of Europe's leading robotics research centers. The geographic spread across Italy, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, UK, Switzerland, and Iceland provides access to major European robotics and prosthetics markets. The presence of 4 SMEs signals genuine commercial interest in the tactile sensing results, though as a training network the primary output is trained researchers and published methods rather than market-ready products.
Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Genoa, Italy) — use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's contact details
Want to explore how NeuTouch tactile sensing technology could improve your robots or prosthetic devices? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right research team. Contact us for a briefing.
