UltraSense Systems Launches Ultrasound Tactile Platform for Physical AI

UltraSense Systems announced its new ultrasound-based tactile intelligence platform for Physical AI, introducing a protected, sub-surface sensing architecture designed to bring robust, high-fidelity touch perception to robots and intelligent machines. Customer evaluation kits will be available beginning June 1, 2026 for customer assessment and system integration.

As robotics moves into real-world deployment, touch sensing is becoming a critical missing layer. Physical AI systems need more than vision alone. They must detect contact, localize where it occurs, interpret force, and respond reliably during grasping, manipulation, and release. That has exposed a major weakness in many traditional tactile approaches: the sensing element is often placed at or near the contact surface, where repeated pressure, friction, wear, and environmental exposure can degrade performance over time.

UltraSense is taking a different architectural approach. Rather than relying on exposed or surface-near sensing structures, the company uses ultrasound to sense through the material stack, keeping the core sensing layer protected beneath the interaction surface. By analyzing acoustic return signatures, the platform is designed to detect contact events, localize interaction, and infer force-related behavior while reducing direct wear on the active sensing element.

“Physical AI will require a new class of tactile sensing that is not only sensitive, but durable enough for real-world deployment,” said Mo Maghsoudnia, CEO of UltraSense Systems. “The challenge is not simply detecting first touch in a lab. The challenge is maintaining stable, useful tactile data over time in a contact-intensive environment. Our ultrasound platform is designed to protect the sensing core, preserve signal integrity, and provide a differentiated path beyond traditional surface-exposed approaches.”

UltraSense is targeting applications such as humanoid hands, robotic grippers, industrial automation end effectors, and other contact-rich machine interfaces where both robustness and actionable touch data are required. The platform builds on UltraSense’s automotive-grade execution, with more than 4 million units shipped and experience delivering AEC-Q100-qualified solutions to demanding customers.