A chemical approach to robotic touch
Robots today struggle with fine tactile dexterity because conventional sensors are bulky and difficult to integrate densely. TactoChem takes a radically different route: it embeds chemical mechanosensors directly into robotic materials. When touched, these sensors trigger and amplify internal chemical signalling, triggering reflex-style responses via synthetic “vasculature” networks.

By combining mechanochemistry, materials design, and embedded chemical information processing, the project aims to realise a self-contained sense–response loop in soft materials—no rigid components or electronics required.

Towards safer, adaptive, soft robotics
The implications are significant. Robots capable of safe, delicate interactions are crucial in medical settings, rehabilitation, and prosthetics. By mastering a chemical sense of touch, TactoChem could redefine how we design and interact with soft robotic systems, bringing us a step closer to technologies that move, adapt, and respond as naturally as humans do.