Humanoid robots gain a sense of touch, lifting tactile sensor adoption above 60%

If vision serves as a robot's eyes, tactile sensors function as its skin and peripheral nerves. In China, leading dexterous-hand makers have increasingly begun treating tactile sensing as a standard feature. The shift was particularly visible at the 2026 World Robot Conference, where queues formed throughout the day at tactile-glove demonstration areas as visitors took turns grasping objects and watching real-time changes in touch data. According to Chinese market research estimates, tactile-sensor penetration in dexterous robotic hands has risen from about 20% in early 2025 to more than 60% in 2026.