A robot arm wrapped in sensor-laden skin has been given the ability to navigate using a keen sense of touch, a development that allows it to work closely and comfortably alongside humans.

Most robots are taught to avoid bumping into people and objects, complicating the simple task of reaching for an object in a cluttered environment, like a salt shaker on a dinner table crowded with plates and glasses.

To tackle this, Charlie Kemp of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and colleagues created a flexible electronic skin studded with 384 sensors that detect very slight touch.