Robots excel at many things, but having a good sense of touch is not among them. Whether dropping items or pinching them too tightly, which crushes the object, many robots struggle with these basic skills that humans have mastered.

Over the years, scientists have equipped robots with cameras and other tools that enable the machines to better sense objects. But a simple and cost-effective solution remains elusive.

A new electronic textile (E-textile), under development at the University at Buffalo, aims to address this problem. The technology, described in a study published July 30 in Nature Communications, mimics how nerves in our hands sense pressure and slipping while grasping objects.