Meta developing robot capable of sensing your touch
Meta has announced a partnership with sensor firm GelSight and South Korean robotics company Wonik Robotics. The collaboration aims to commercialize tactile sensors for artificial intelligence (AI). The joint venture will work on the development and market launch of Digit 360, a cutting-edge tactile fingertip sensor that Meta describes as having "human-level multimodal sensing capabilities." Meta is also working on a robotic hand that will come with tactile sensors like Digit 360.
Digit 360: A breakthrough in tactile technology
Digit 360 is an enhanced version of Meta's current Digit sensor. It can digitize touch signals with an on-device AI chip and some 18 "sensing features" to detect changes in its surroundings. As Meta explained, "We developed a touch-perception-specific optical system with a wide field of view for capturing omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip surface." Each touch interaction with the environment creates a unique profile owing to the mechanical, geometrical, and chemical properties of a surface, the company added.
Digit 360's multimodal sensing capabilities
The sensor comes with a host of sensing modalities to feel vibrations, sense heat, and even smell odor. Meta has announced Digit 360 will be up for purchase next year. The company has also launched a call for proposals through which researchers can get early access to this advanced technology.
Meta and Wonik Robotics's joint venture: The Allegro Hand
Along with GelSight, Meta is also working with Wonik Robotics on a new generation of Allegro Hand, with tactile sensors like Digit 360. The next-gen Allegro Hand will have control boards encoding data from the tactile sensors onto a host computer, a major step forward in robotics research. "Allegro Hand is poised to help advance robotics research by making it easier for researchers to conduct experiments," Meta said in their announcement.
Allegro Hand's potential impact on AI research
Meta believes devices like Allegro Hand, which leverage multimodal signals, will help scientists conduct more detailed research into AI. The company hopes that eventually, researchers will use these tools to create AI that can better understand and model the physical world. This includes the physicality of objects, human-object interaction, and contact physics. Allegro Hand will be available starting next year.
