PALPABLE Project

PALPABLE Project and SWAG Project show how soft robotics is moving closer to real-world impact. From minimally invasive surgery to wearable support technologies, both projects highlight how flexible, human-centred innovation can improve the way technology interacts with the body. Together, they reflect the growing potential of soft robotics in healthcare and beyond. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dpmy2tT4 #SoftRobotics #HorizonEurope #PALPABLE #SWAGProject #HealthcareInnovation  

🌸 Happy Easter from PALPABLE!   In the spirit of the season, we're grateful for every step forward in giving surgeons back the sense of touch, making minimally invasive procedures safer, one innovation at a time.   Warm wishes for a peaceful Easter.   #PALPABLE #HappyEaster #SurgicalRobotics #MedTech #HorizonEurope #TechHiveLabs

🎯 A wireless palpation probe with a 36-unit capacitive sensing array, detecting tumours as small as 1mm at 3mm depth.   New research shows robotic palpation devices can now locate a 2cm tumour embedded at 5mm depth in the lung subpleural region, enabling objective, data-driven decisions during surgery.   The PALPABLE Project is advancing this frontier: combining optical sensing, soft robotics, and AI to create real-time tissue stiffness maps for minimally invasive procedures.   📰 https://lnkd.in/d7-N527Z   #PALPABLE #MedTech #SurgicalRobotics #TactileSensing #HorizonEurope #TechHiveLabs

🩺 The robotic surgery market is projected to reach $16 billion in 2026, but surgeons still can’t feel what they’re touching.   Since keyhole surgery replaced open procedures in the 1990s, surgeons lost the ability to palpate tissue directly. As robotic surgery scales, this gap becomes even more critical for detecting tumours and abnormalities.   The PALPABLE Project is developing a soft robotic probe with fibre-optic sensing that translates physical contact into real-time stiffness maps, giving surgeons back a functional equivalent of touch.   📰 https://lnkd.in/dU6CBRnY   #PALPABLE #SurgicalRobotics #TactileSensing #MedTech #HorizonEurope #TechHiveLabs

In robotic-assisted surgery, accurately identifying soft tissues is essential for precision and patient safety. Traditional visual methods often fall short due to tissue deformability. However, recent research demonstrates that robotic systems can use haptic exploration to estimate tissue stiffness (Young's modulus) in real-time. By analyzing interaction forces during palpation, the system achieved over 99% accuracy in classifying different soft tissue phantoms. For the PALPABLE project, this research reinforces the core importance of our work. By developing advanced, high-resolution tactile sensing systems, we are enabling soft robotic tools to quantitatively assess mechanical tissue properties, bringing a crucial and reliable sense of touch to medical diagnostics. 🔗 Read more via ResearchGate: https://lnkd.in/d_5McHVE #PALPABLEproject #SoftRobotics #MedicalRobotics #TactileSensing #Haptics #BioElectronics #MedTech

Robotic surgery delivers visual precision, but surgeons still operate without a true sense of physical touch. The absence of haptic feedback remains a documented clinical limitation in Robotic-Assisted Surgery (RAS). A comprehensive review highlights that relying purely on visual cues to assess tissue compliance increases cognitive load and limits the surgeon's ability to detect subtle pathologies during complex procedures. The PALPABLE project directly targets this sensory gap. We are engineering soft robotic probes that act as artificial fingertips. By integrating high-resolution force and tactile sensors, we aim to restore real-time haptic feedback to the operating console, providing clinicians with the physical data required for safer tissue manipulation. 🔗 Read the clinical review on palpation sensing in RAS: https://lnkd.in/dSSKNMjx #PALPABLEproject #RoboticSurgery #Haptics #MedicalRobotics #MedTech #SoftRobotics

Surgeons are losing their sense of touch as operating rooms become increasingly robotic. We are working to restore it. A feature in The Lancet Digital Health highlighted that the lack of haptic feedback in robotic-assisted surgery remains a primary limitation, restricting a surgeon's ability to assess tissue compliance during minimally invasive procedures. The PALPABLE project directly targets this gap. We are developing soft robotic probes that mimic a human fingertip. By restoring real-time tactile perception and force feedback, we provide surgeons with the physical data necessary for safer, more precise tissue manipulation. 🔗 Read the latest on haptic feedback in surgery: https://lnkd.in/gzqvafXW #PALPABLEproject #SoftRobotics #MedicalRobotics #SurgicalTech #HealthTech #Haptics

🤖 Touch may be the next major step for robotics At CES 2026, Singapore-based startup Sharpa showcased robotic hands capable of delicate tasks such as folding paper and assembling objects. Their system combines vision and dense tactile sensing, allowing robots to adjust grip, detect slippage, and respond dynamically during manipulation. Advances like these highlight how tactile perception and dexterous manipulation are becoming central to the next generation of intelligent robots. For PALPABLE, progress in high-resolution tactile sensing and perception reinforces the broader shift toward robots that can interact more safely and effectively with complex environments. #PALPABLEproject #TactileSensing #SoftRobotics #Robotics #HumanRobotInteraction https://lnkd.in/dWF87CC7

As surgery becomes increasingly robotic, the loss of direct tactile feedback remains a significant clinical challenge. While 3D vision has transformed minimally invasive surgery, surgeons still cannot physically feel the tissue. A recent 2025 feature in IEEE Xplore highlights the critical push to restore this sense of touch, noting that lacking tactile feedback limits the intraoperative assessment of tissue stiffness and increases the risk of damage. The PALPABLE project directly addresses this gap. By combining optical sensing, soft robotics, and artificial intelligence, our consortium is developing a soft robotic probe designed to mimic a human fingertip. This tool provides real-time tactile and haptic feedback, assisting surgeons in accurately identifying tissue abnormalities. 🔗 Read about next-gen haptic feedback in IEEE: https://lnkd.in/e3m8ahBi #PALPABLEproject #SoftRobotics #MedicalRobotics #TactileSensing #MinimallyInvasiveSurgery #MedTech

Tactile tele-operation is advancing how humans interact with remote robotic systems. By integrating real-time tactile feedback alongside visual input, tele-operated robots can achieve improved precision, safety, and operator awareness. For PALPABLE, developments in tactile feedback are central to enabling more intuitive and responsive robotic tools, particularly in applications where precision and delicate interaction are critical. #PALPABLEproject #TactileSensing #Teleoperation #MedicalRobotics #HumanRobotInteraction https://lnkd.in/d59jMQkg