Meta Partners with GelSight and Wonik Robotics to Create Tactile Sensors for AI

Meta has recently announced an ambitious partnership with GelSight, a sensor technology company, and Wonik Robotics, a South Korean firm specializing in robotics. Together, they aim to develop advanced tactile sensors intended for scientific research rather than consumer markets. The initiative focuses on enhancing artificial intelligence's ability to learn about and interpret the physical world with greater depth and accuracy.

At the heart of this project is the Digit 360, a sophisticated robotic fingertip equipped with advanced multimodal sensing capabilities. This new device is designed to digitize touch signals using an on-device AI chip and approximately 18 unique sensing features. These capabilities allow the Digit 360 to detect and interpret various environmental changes, offering a level of touch perception previously unavailable in robotics.

Meta elaborates on the technological advancements behind the Digit 360, highlighting the development of a specialized optical system that provides a wide field of view. This system captures omnidirectional deformations on the fingertip's surface, enabling it to perceive a range of tactile information. Each touch interaction produces a distinct profile based on the surface's mechanical, geometrical, and chemical properties, allowing the sensor to recognize vibrations, temperature variations, and even odors.

Scheduled for release next year, Digit 360 will be available to researchers through a proposal call for early access. This initiative reflects Meta's commitment to fostering scientific inquiry and innovation in AI technologies.

In addition to the Digit 360, Meta is working with Wonik Robotics to advance the Allegro Hand, a robotic hand that integrates these tactile sensors. This new generation of the Allegro Hand will leverage the technological foundation developed by Meta, incorporating control boards that encode data from the tactile sensors to a connected computer. The upcoming Allegro Hand is also slated for availability next year, marking a significant advancement in robotic capabilities.

Meta's collaboration with GelSight and Wonik Robotics represents a strategic move to enhance the capabilities of artificial intelligence through tactile perception. By enabling AI to interact with its environment in a more human-like manner, this technology could have profound implications for various fields, from robotics to neuroscience. As research continues, the potential applications of these advancements could reshape our understanding of how machines perceive and interact with the world around them.