Meta Develops Robot Hand Capable of 'Feeling' Touch Through Advanced Tactile Sensors
The Digit 360 is set to be available for purchase next year, and Meta has initiated a call for proposals, allowing researchers to gain early access to the technology.
Meta is collaborating with GelSight, a sensor technology firm, and South Korean robotics company Wonik Robotics to develop and commercialize advanced tactile sensors designed for artificial intelligence research. The new devices, primarily aimed at scientists rather than consumers, are intended to enhance AI's understanding of the physical world by providing rich, detailed sensory feedback.
The flagship product of this initiative is the Digit 360, a tactile fingertip with capabilities that mimic human touch perception. This new sensor builds upon the earlier Digit model, incorporating an on-device AI chip and approximately 18 sensing features that enable it to detect changes in its environment. Meta emphasizes that the Digit 360 is equipped with a unique optical system designed for touch perception, allowing it to capture omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip's surface.
In a blog post, Meta explained, "We developed a touch-perception-specific optical system with a wide field of view for capturing omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip surface. Additionally, we equipped the sensor with many sensing modalities, since each touch interaction with the environment has a unique profile produced by the mechanical, geometrical, and chemical properties of a surface to perceive vibrations, sense heat, and even smell odor."
Source: MetaAI
The Digit 360 is set to be available for purchase next year, and Meta has initiated a call for proposals, allowing researchers to gain early access to the technology.
Meta's partnership with Wonik Robotics will enhance the capabilities of the Allegro Hand, a robotic hand equipped with tactile sensors similar to the Digit 360. This new version of the Allegro Hand will feature improved control boards that encode data from its tactile sensors, allowing for more sophisticated interactions and understanding of its environment. The Allegro Hand is also expected to launch next year.
