Sanctuary AI, a company specializing in physical AI for general-purpose robots, has announced the integration of new tactile sensor technology into its Phoenix robots. This upgrade enhances the robots’ ability to perform complex, touch-driven tasks with greater precision and accuracy, improving teleoperation and dexterity.
Image Credit: Sanctuary AI
The announcement follows the company’s recent unveiling of its advanced tactile sensors, marking another step toward developing dexterous intelligence for autonomous labor.
Key launch details include:
- Enhanced tactile sensors allow robots to execute intricate, touch-sensitive tasks with improved accuracy.
- Richer behavioral data from these sensors strengthens physical AI models, making them more adaptable and efficient.
As industries worldwide continue to face labor shortages, businesses struggle to fill essential roles. Sanctuary AI’s technology aims to bridge these gaps by equipping general-purpose robots with dexterous hand capabilities. These robots can take on roles across multiple sectors, including automotive, logistics, retail, telecom, energy, and utilities.
The sense of touch is a key enabler for creating human-level dexterity in robots and critical for physical AI to achieve its full potential. Our tactile sensors enable reliable and confident fine manipulation when vision is occluded, unlocking capabilities such as blind picking, slippage detection, and prevention of excessive force application, all broadening the scope and range of tasks for our general purpose robots.
James Wells, Chief Executive Officer, Sanctuary AI
James Wells said, “By equipping general purpose robots with advanced touch sensors, Sanctuary AI’s technology provides industry-leading capabilities to perform an expanded set of work tasks.”
Without tactile sensing, robots depend on video to interact with their environment. With video alone you do not know you have touched something until well after the collision has physically caused the object to move. This reduces work efficiency and can require numerous attempts, grasping, and re-grasping the same object for a secure hold. Touch solves this.
Dr. Jeremy Fishel, Principal Researcher, Sanctuary AI
Sanctuary AI has been recognized as a leader in intellectual property for general-purpose robots and embodied AI. The company was recently ranked third globally for published US patents by Morgan Stanley, underscoring its strong position in proprietary technology.
With the 2024 launch of the latest Phoenix robots—now equipped with advanced tactile sensors—Sanctuary AI continues to differentiate itself from competitors that primarily rely on stereo camera feeds for object interaction. This latest integration further solidifies the company’s role in advancing AI-driven robotics.
Sanctuary AI Equips General Purpose Robots with New Touch Sensors
Video Credit: Sanctuary AI