Restoring a Surgeon’s Sense of Touch via Robotic Fingertips

• The EU-funded PALPABLE research project is developing a soft robotic "fingertip" to restore tactile feedback in minimally invasive and robotic surgeries.
• The technology uses optical sensing, soft robotics, and AI to map tissue stiffness, allowing surgeons to detect irregularities like tumors that were previously felt by hand.
• A first prototype is expected to be tested by surgeons around March 2026, with the project running until the end of 2026.

The Need for Tactile Feedback

• Modern surgery transitioned from open procedures, where surgeons used their fingers, to keyhole and robotic techniques that lack direct physical touch.
• Loss of touch complicates the detection of tumors, which often feel firmer or more irregular than healthy tissue.
• Restoring this feedback is critical to ensure precise tumor removal and minimize patient trauma.

Technology and Methodology

• The probe features a soft silicone dome embedded with hair-thin fibre-optic cables.
• As the tip deforms against tissue, light patterns shift, allowing the system to calculate the direction and magnitude of force.
• This data is converted into a real-time, color-coded visual map displayed to the surgeon.

Research Collaboration

• Lead partners include:
  • Queen Mary University of London: membrane design.
  • Fraunhofer Institute: functional films.
  • Bendabl, Tech Hive Labs, and the University of Essex: visualization software.
  • Hellenic Mediterranean University and the University of Turin: clinical expertise and soft robotics development.
• The research aims to move from early lab-calibrated sensors toward validated clinical prototypes to improve patient care.