Recent studies indicate that humans possess the capability to detect objects without physical contact, a skill seen in certain animals.
Chen and colleagues. The first study examined human fingertip sensitivity to tactile signals from buried objects, while the second utilized a robotic arm with a long short-term memory model to detect objects. Image credit: Gemini AI.
Typically, human touch is viewed as a sense limited to direct physical interaction with objects.
However, recent insights into animal sensory mechanisms challenge this perception.
Some species of sandpipers and plovers, for instance, utilize a form of remote touch to locate prey concealed beneath the sand.
Remote touch allows for the detection of objects hidden beneath particles by subtle mechanical signals transmitted through the medium when nearby pressure is applied.
In a groundbreaking study, Dr. Elisabetta Versace from Queen Mary University of London and her team explored whether humans share similar capabilities.
Participants delicately glided their fingers over the sand to locate a hidden cube before making physical contact.
Remarkably, the study outcomes revealed a sensitivity analogous to that found in shorebirds, despite humans lacking the specialized beak structure that facilitates this ability in avians.
Modeling the physical attributes of this phenomenon, researchers concluded that human hands are so sensitive they can perceive buried objects through minute sand displacements.
This sensitivity approaches the theoretical threshold for detecting mechanical “reflections” of granules when the movement of sand is reflected by a stable surface (the concealed object).
When evaluating the performance of humans against robotic tactile sensors trained using long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithms, humans achieved a remarkable accuracy of 70.7% within the anticipated detection range.
Interestingly, the robot could sense objects from slightly greater distances on average but encountered frequent false positives, resulting in an overall accuracy of only 40%.
These findings affirm that humans can genuinely detect objects prior to physical contact, showcasing an extraordinary aspect of our senses typically linked to direct interactions.
Both humans and robots demonstrated performance nearing the maximum sensitivity predicted by physical models of displacement.
This research uncovers that humans can identify objects buried in sand without direct contact, broadening our understanding of the extent of tactile perception.
Additionally, it provides quantitative evidence of tactile abilities previously undocumented in humans.
The study also presents a valuable benchmark for enhancing tactile sensing in assistive technologies and robotic systems.
Emulating human sensory perception, engineers can design robots that incorporate near-human touch sensitivity for practical uses in tasks such as surveying, excavation, and exploration where visual cues are limited.
“This is the first instance of remote contact being examined in humans, reshaping our concept of the perceptual fields of living beings, including humans,” stated Dr. Versace.
“This discovery opens avenues for creating tools and assistive technologies that amplify the human sense of touch,” remarked Dr. Student Chen Zhenchi.
“These insights could lead to the development of advanced robots capable of performing delicate tasks, such as locating untouched archaeological artifacts or navigating sandy or granular terrains like Martian soil or ocean floors.”
“More generally, this research facilitates the development of touch-based systems that enhance safety and effectiveness in exploring hidden and hazardous locations.”
“What makes this study particularly intriguing is the mutual influence between human research and robotic research,” noted Dr. Lorenzo Hamone, a researcher at University College London.
“Human experiments informed the robot’s learning strategy, while the robot’s efficacy offered new interpretations of human data.”
“This serves as a prime example of how psychology, robotics, and artificial intelligence can collaborate, illustrating how interdisciplinary teamwork can ignite both fundamental discoveries and technological advancements.”
Details of the findings were presented in September at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL) in Prague, Czech Republic.
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Z. Chen and colleagues. Exploring haptics for object localization in granular media: A human-robot study. 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning; doi: 10.1109/ICDL63968.2025.11204359
Source: www.sci.news
