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Sydney-based robotics company 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 UNSW Sydney spinout will now compete for the opportunity to work with and alongside MassRobotics in Boston with its tactile sensing technology that gives robots a working sense of touch.
Closing the gap between vision and feel
Contactile’s core argument is straightforward: robots can see, but they cannot feel. Vision and force sensors alone cannot handle the fragile, variable and irregular objects that make up the bulk of remaining manual work.
The company builds tactile compute modules, control software and touch-native grippers designed to close that gap, letting robots grip objects without crushing or dropping them.
Dr Heba Khamis, CEO and Co-Founder of Contactile, outlined the company’s positioning in the market.
“Touch is what makes robots useful in terms of dexterity and manual work,” Khamis explained. “Contactile is the tactile manipulation layer for physical AI.”
How the technology works
At the core of Contactile’s platform sits its 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 a specific amount of force at a specific moment.
“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 noted.
“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.
Positioned 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 at risk of supply bottlenecks in humanoid robotics, and one of the most attractive opportunities for suppliers to scale capacity and define emerging standards.
Khamis pointed to the company’s head start in the space.
“We were founded in 2019, long before the current humanoid wave started, and long before anyone was talking about physical AI,” she commented.
“We’ve used that time since 2019 to prove the technology, iron out things like manufacturability, durability and robustness.”
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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.
What Propel-AIR offers
Through Propel-AIR, Contactile is preparing to scale alongside the emerging physical AI sector, from collaborative arms to mobile platforms to humanoids.
The Propel-AIR program, run by ARM Hub, is designed to fast-track Australian robotics and AI innovators by equipping them with tools, guidance and networks to scale their businesses. The program culminates in a virtual pitch to an international panel of experts.
The winner will receive a one-month residency at MassRobotics in Boston, with access to leading robotics companies and institutions including MIT and Harvard.
Contactile was founded in 2019 by Dr Heba Khamis, Benjamin Xia and Associate Professor Stephen Redmond. Its investors include True Ventures, Radar Ventures, Flying Fox Ventures and UNSW.
Last Updated on July 8, 2026 by Nick Ross
