AIDIN Robotics’ Three Humanoid Sensors: The Beginning of a Tactile Revolution in Robotics

Can humanoid robots truly grasp objects, maintain balance, and walk like humans? Until now, they have mostly showcased visually impressive appearances but often repeated awkward movements. However, the situation seems to be changing. I recently came across news that AIDIN Robotics, a Korean startup specializing in robot sensors, has unveiled three tactile sensors for humanoid robots, and this could indeed be a game-changer.

On September 23, 2025, AIDIN Robotics announced the release of three new products: a fingertip tactile sensor, a 3-axis force/torque sensor for ankles, and a 6-axis force/torque sensor for wrists and joints. All these products are aimed for official sale in the first half of 2026 and were first introduced at the international academic conferences ‘CoRL (Conference on Robot Learning)’ and ‘Humanoids’ held at COEX in Seoul. Notably, the Humanoids conference is being held in Korea for the first time in a decade since 2015, which adds significance.

Personally, the most intriguing is the tactile sensor (ATT). This sensor is mounted on fingers or palms and detects the contact position and force distribution with a structure of multiple sensing cells, essentially implementing tactile recognition similar to human skin. Until now, humanoid robots have often been seen gripping objects too tightly, causing breakage, or too loosely, resulting in drops. With such sensors, truly delicate manipulation like that of humans seems possible.

In the global humanoid robot market, companies like Boston Dynamics (USA), Honda (Japan), SoftBank (Japan), and Tesla (USA) are currently leading. Tesla’s Optimus has been continuously evolving since its first unveiling in 2022, but it still shows limitations in object manipulation capabilities. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas boasts excellent mobility but is far from commercialization due to its price reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this scenario, AIDIN Robotics’ sensor technology is likely to become a key component that can significantly enhance the performance of these robots.

The Present and Future of the Tactile Sensor Market

The market for tactile sensors for robots is still in its early stages but has tremendous growth potential. According to market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the global tactile sensor market is expected to grow from approximately $1.8 billion in 2023 to $3.5 billion by 2028, with an average annual growth rate of 14.2%. Demand is particularly surging in the fields of humanoid and collaborative robots (cobots).

The 3-axis force/torque sensor (3FT1000/2000) from AIDIN Robotics is also noteworthy. This sensor is applied to the ankle to measure up to 2000N of force and rotational torque on the sole, as well as the center of gravity, which is roughly equivalent to detecting a weight of 200kg. Such precise force measurement is essential for the stable walking of humanoid robots. Until now, many humanoid robots have been seen stumbling or falling even on flat surfaces, but with such sensors, much more stable walking seems possible.

Compared to competitors, companies like Weiss Robotics (Germany) and OptoForce (Italy) are making similar products, but most are specialized for industrial robots. There are not many companies developing sensors specialized for humanoid robots. Shin-Etsu Polymer (Japan) is ahead in the tactile sensor field but mainly targets large corporate clients, making it difficult for startups to access.

The 6-axis force/torque sensor (AFT150-D50) is impressive as it can be installed in narrow spaces such as wrists and joints while enabling various hand movements. Existing 6-axis sensors are often large or lack precision, so I’m curious how AIDIN Robotics has addressed this issue. Based on the model name D50, it seems to be a compact size with a diameter of about 50mm, and if 6-axis measurement is possible at this size, it can indeed be called revolutionary.

AIDIN Robotics CEO Lee Yoon-haeng stated, “We will expand our business into the humanoid field based on the proven technology from sensors for collaborative robots,” which can be interpreted as extending the know-how accumulated in the cobot market to humanoids. If technology validated in the collaborative robot market is applied to humanoids, there would be significant advantages in terms of stability and reliability.

New Possibilities for the Korean Robotics Industry

The Korean robotics industry has so far focused on industrial robots for manufacturing, but recently it is expanding into service robots and humanoid robots. The government has also announced plans to establish a ‘K-Robot Belt’ in 2024, actively fostering the robotics industry with a goal to invest 3 trillion won by 2027 to become a leading robotics nation.

Currently, the size of the Korean robot market is about 7 trillion won, accounting for about 8% of the global market. However, most are manufacturing robots, and the humanoid and service robot fields have not yet stood out. In this situation, if startups like AIDIN Robotics secure competitiveness in sensor technology, a key component, it could become a new breakthrough for the Korean robotics industry.

The global humanoid robot market is expected to grow rapidly from about $1.3 billion in 2023 to $17.4 billion by 2030. This is an astonishing growth rate of 44.6% annually. In this market, sensors account for about 15-20% of the total cost, and if AIDIN Robotics secures just a 5% market share, it could achieve annual sales of over 20 billion won by 2030.

In fact, sensor technology is one of the fields where Korea has strengths. Companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix with semiconductor technology, and sensor specialists like LG Innotek, Partron have accumulated know-how. AIDIN Robotics seems to have secured competitiveness by leveraging this Korean sensor ecosystem. Especially if they can secure cost competitiveness through cooperation with domestic semiconductor foundries or packaging companies, they could compete well in the global market.

However, there are some concerns. First is the mass production capability, as maintaining consistent quality during large-scale production is challenging due to the precision required in sensors. Second is price competitiveness. For humanoid robots to become mainstream, the overall price needs to drop significantly, and if sensor prices are too high, adoption could be difficult. Third is global marketing and sales capabilities. No matter how good the technology is, appealing to and gaining trust from overseas robot manufacturers is a separate issue.

Nevertheless, AIDIN Robotics’ announcement is quite encouraging. The fact that a domestic company has developed the essential tactile sensor technology for the commercialization of humanoid robots is significant, and the specific launch schedule of the first half of 2026 suggests considerable preparation. The decision to unveil at a global academic conference hosted by IEEE also seems to express confidence in their technology.

The key to success will be what partnerships AIDIN Robotics establishes and what pricing strategies they pursue. If collaborations with global robot companies like Tesla or Boston Dynamics are realized, it could be a major turning point for the Korean robotics industry. The first half of 2026 is indeed something to look forward to.

This article was written after reading the AIDIN Robotics Unveils Three New Humanoid Hand and Foot Tactile Sensors article, adding personal opinions and analysis.

Disclaimer: This blog is not a news outlet, and the content is the author’s personal opinion. The responsibility for investment decisions lies with the investor, and no responsibility is taken for investment losses based on the content of this article.