# Robotic Tactile Perception of Object Properties: A Review

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.03810 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1711.03810/

## Key facts

- Cited by 25 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 10 Nov 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 25 of 25)

- [Active 3D Shape Reconstruction from Vision and Touch](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.09584/) (2021)
- [Tac2Pose: Tactile Object Pose Estimation from the First Touch](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.11701/) (2022)
- [Visuo-Haptic Object Perception for Robots: An Overview](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.11544/) (2022)
- [Active Visuo-Haptic Object Shape Completion](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.09149/) (2022)
- [FeelAnyForce: Estimating Contact Force Feedback from Tactile Sensation for Vision-Based Tactile Sensors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.02048/) (2024)
- [Visual-Tactile Multimodality for Following Deformable Linear Objects Using Reinforcement Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.00117/) (2022)
- [Demonstrating the Octopi-1.5 Visual-Tactile-Language Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.09985/) (2025)
- [ConViTac: Aligning Visual-Tactile Fusion with Contrastive Representations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.20757/) (2025)
- [Generalize by Touching: Tactile Ensemble Skill Transfer for Robotic Furniture Assembly](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.17684/) (2024)
- [Multi-Object Grasping -- Estimating the Number of Objects in a Robotic Grasp](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.01270/) (2021)
- [Extended Tactile Perception: Vibration Sensing through Tools and Grasped Objects](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.00489/) (2021)
- [Learning to Detect Slip through Tactile Estimation of the Contact Force Field and its Entropy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.00935/) (2023)
- [LeTac-MPC: Learning Model Predictive Control for Tactile-reactive Grasping](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.04934/) (2024)
- [Vision-Guided Active Tactile Perception for Crack Detection and Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2105.06325/) (2021)
- [CNN-based Methods for Object Recognition with High-Resolution Tactile Sensors](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.12417/) (2023)
- [Bayesian and Neural Inference on LSTM-based Object Recognition from Tactile and Kinesthetic Information](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2306.06423/) (2023)
- [ViTacGen: Robotic Pushing with Vision-to-Touch Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.14117/) (2025)
- [Multimodal perception for dexterous manipulation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.14298/) (2021)
- [Robotic Handling of Compliant Food Objects by Robust Learning from Demonstration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.12856/) (2023)
- [Bayesian optimization for robust robotic grasping using a sensorized compliant hand](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.18237/) (2024)
- [MobileCharger: an Autonomous Mobile Robot with Inverted Delta Actuator for Robust and Safe Robot Charging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.10585/) (2021)
- [Intelligent machines work in unstructured environments by differential neuromorphic computing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.08835/) (2023)
- [Open-Set Object Recognition Using Mechanical Properties During Interaction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2311.01540/) (2023)
- [Capability Thresholds and Manufacturing Topology: How Embodied Intelligence Triggers Phase Transitions in Economic Geography](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.04457/) (2026)
- [VTLoc: Learning-based Tactile Contact Localization in Visual Point Clouds](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.16146/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Touch sensing can help robots understand their sur- rounding environment, and in particular the objects they interact with. To this end, roboticists have, in the last few decades, developed several tactile sensing solutions, extensively reported in the literature. Research into interpreting the conveyed tactile information has also started to attract increasing attention in recent years. However, a comprehensive study on this topic is yet to be reported. In an effort to collect and summarize the major scientific achievements in the area, this survey extensively reviews current trends in robot tactile perception of object properties. Available tactile sensing technologies are briefly presented before an extensive review on tactile recognition of object properties. The object properties that are targeted by this review are shape, surface material and object pose. The role of touch sensing in combination with other sensing sources is also discussed. In this review, open issues are identified and future directions for applying tactile sensing in different tasks are suggested.