Advanced Robotic Touch in Propel-AIR Finals

SYDNEY, NSW - Contactile has been selected as one of seven finalists in Propel-AIR 2026, Australia's dedicated AI and robotics sprint delivered by the ARM Hub AI Adopt Centre. The Sydney robotics company will now compete for the opportunity to work with and alongside MassRobotics in Boston, the global epicentre of robotics innovation, with its tactile sensing technology that gives robots a working sense of touch.

Proven technology with growing demand

Robots can see, but they cannot feel. Vision and force sensors alone cannot handle the fragile, variable and irregular objects that make up most remaining manual work. Contactile builds the tactile compute modules, control software and touch-native grippers that close that gap, letting robots grip objects without crushing or dropping them.

"Touch is what makes robots useful in terms of dexterity and manual work," says Dr Heba Khamis, CEO and co-founder of Contactile. "Contactile is the tactile manipulation layer for physical AI."

At the core of the platform sits the company's patented PapillArray tactile compute module. Where conventional tactile sensors output raw data and leave interpretation to the customer, the PapillArray tells the robot exactly what to do: grip with this much force, right now. "If you think of tactile sensing as somewhere on the spectrum of a compass to GPS, then the PapillArray is GPS plus Google Maps," Khamis says. 

"We develop these tactile compute modules, the control stack, and embed these modules natively into grippers and hands, so that they can perform anticipatory control - preventing slip, not just reacting to it - while they're handling different objects and completing different tasks."

The result is real-time grip force control with no tuning and no reprogramming, which cuts engineering time, reduces failures and lifts uptime for robot builders and integrators.

Ahead of the physical AI wave

Humanoid and mobile robotics companies raised more than $14 billion in 2025, and every one of those platforms faces the same manipulation problem. An April 2026 McKinsey report identified force and tactile sensing as one of three component clusters most at risk of supply bottlenecks in humanoid robotics, and one of the most attractive opportunities for suppliers to scale capacity and define emerging standards. "We were founded in 2019, long before the current humanoid wave started, and long before anyone was talking about physical AI," says Khamis. "We've used that time since 2019 to prove the technology, iron out things like manufacturability, durability, and robustness."

Commercial traction

Contactile now counts more than 100 customers across more than 12 countries. Research customers include Carnegie Mellon University, Imperial College London and the Toyota Research Institute, while commercial customers include BMW Group, General Motors, Amazon, Samsung and Zeiss. The company sells direct and through OEM partnerships that embed its technology into third-party grippers and hands.

Growth plans

Through Propel-AIR, Contactile is preparing to scale alongside the emerging physical AI sector, from collaborative arms to mobile platforms to humanoids. The winner will travel to MassRobotics in Boston for a one-month residency, with access to leading robotics companies and world-class institutions like MIT and Harvard.

ENDS

About Contactile 
Contactile is a UNSW Sydney spinout founded in 2019 by Dr Heba Khamis, Benjamin Xia and Associate Professor Stephen Redmond. Its patented PapillArray tactile sensing technology gives robots real-time grip force control, enabling dexterous handling of fragile and variable objects across manufacturing, logistics, research and physical AI applications. Investors include True Ventures, Radar Ventures, Flying Fox Ventures and UNSW.

About Propel-AIR

ARM Hub's Propel-AIR program is Australia's AI and Robotics Sprint, designed to fast-track Australian robotics and AI innovators by equipping them with tools, guidance, and networks to scale their business. This pioneering program provides business opportunities for AI and robotics companies, culminating in a virtual pitch to an international panel of experts. The winner receives a month's residency in Boston with MassRobotics.