The project aims to enable more dexterous robotic grasping through GelSight’s high resolution touch sensing technology

Waltham, Mass. – March 10, 2026 – GelSight®, a pioneer in high-resolution tactile sensing technology, today announced it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop a compact, rugged tactile “digital fingertip” sensor designed to enhance intelligent robotic grasping and manipulation.

Under this Phase II award, GelSight will develop a next generation, miniaturized tactile sensor capable of delivering real-time 3D touch and force data to robotic grippers. The effort will focus on enhancing GelSight’s current robotic sensing products by reducing size, improving durability, and enabling fast data output suitable for defense robotics applications. GelSight will collaborate with Warner Robins Air Force Base to ensure the technology aligns with operational requirements.

Although the field of robotics has seen significant advances in mobility and motion imitation, dexterous manipulation remains a major challenge. Humans rely continuously on touch to regulate grip force, detect slip, understand contact geometry, and adapt in real time when interacting with physical objects. Most robotic systems today lack comparable tactile feedback, which limits their reliability in complex environments.

GelSight’s technology combines compliant sensing materials with extremely high spatial resolution imaging, allowing robots to perceive fine details of contact, texture, and surface geometry that lower resolution or rigid sensors cannot capture. By delivering rich tactile information in a compact form factor that can be integrated into robotic grippers, this Phase II program aims to make advanced touch perception practical for next generation robotic systems.

In addition to hardware development, the program includes software interfaces designed to support modern robot control systems and machine learning models. The objective is to provide not only raw touch data, but meaningful information that enables adaptive grasping and manipulation.

“This project represents not only an important step toward unlocking enhanced robotic tactile manipulation, but continued progress in scaling our tactile sensing technology into high impact defense and industrial applications,” said Dr. Kimo Johnson, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at GelSight. “We are thrilled to partner with Robins Air Force Base on this effort to help unlock the full potential of humanoid and advanced robotic systems. We see tactile intelligence as a foundational capability for the next generation of robotics, enabling machines to interact with the world with greater precision, adaptability, and confidence. This collaboration is an exciting opportunity to help move tactile sensing from a promising research capability into a practical tool for modern robotics.”

The U.S. Air Force’s support through the SBIR program reflects growing recognition that sensing, not just actuation, is critical to advancing autonomous systems. As robotics moves beyond controlled demonstrations into operational environments, tactile intelligence will play an increasingly important role in improving safety, autonomy, and mission performance.

To learn more about GelSight’s mobile metrology solutions, visit the company’s website.

About GelSight
GelSight is a pioneer in digital, imaging-based surface analysis. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface characterization, enabling several surface measurement applications and robotic sensing capabilities. Its elastomeric 3D imaging systems are currently in use in aerospace, automotive, forensics and in many robotic research labs throughout the world. GelSight is Digital Touch and Feel. For more information, please visit https://gelsight.com/.

Media Contacts

Kalyn Schieffer for GelSight
[email protected]