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Sanctuary AI, a Canada-based company, has upgraded its Phoenix general-purpose robots with advanced tactile sensor technology, allowing them to perform complex tasks with greater precision and control. This enhancement enables users to harness the robots’ dexterity more effectively, making it possible to complete touch-driven tasks with unprecedented accuracy.
The addition of tactile sensors enhances the robots’ ability to manipulate objects even when visual cues are unavailable. These sensors enable crucial capabilities, such as picking correct objects without looking at them, slip detection, and preventing excessive force, expanding the range of tasks Phoenix robots can handle autonomously.
Sanctuary AI’s CEO, James Wells, emphasized that the sense of touch is essential for achieving human-like dexterity in robots. Tactile feedback allows the robots to interact confidently with their environment, ensuring better task execution, particularly when visibility is obstructed.
Before this integration, robots typically relied on video feeds to interact with their surroundings. However, without tactile sensors, they could only detect physical contact after an object had already been moved. This often led to inefficient workflows and multiple attempts to complete a task. Dr. Jeremy Fishel, a principal researcher at Sanctuary AI, noted that tactile sensing addresses this issue, improving efficiency and reducing errors.
This innovation also comes at a time when global labor shortages are impacting industries across various sectors, the company explains. Sanctuary AI’s robots, equipped with tactile sensors, can help fill critical gaps in industries such as automotive, logistics, retail, and more. By enhancing robots’ touch capabilities, the company aims to offer a solution for tasks that require fine manipulation and real-time adjustments.
With this advancement, Sanctuary AI continues to position itself as a leader in dexterous robotics, setting a new benchmark for how robots can perform in dynamic and touch-sensitive environments.
