FLEXOO tactile sensors for AI robotics at Hannover Messe 2026
2026-04-15
FLEXOO demonstrates Physical AI sensing in an industrial robotics showcase
FLEXOO is showcasing its flexible, multimodal sensor technology at Hannover Messe as part of an applied AI robotics demonstrator in an industrial production environment. The Heidelberg-based deeptech company contributes ultrathin tactile sensors that enable robots to perceive physical contact, detect incorrect interactions, and generate training data for AI-based decision making.
By equipping industrial robotic grippers with surface-integrated sensing, FLEXOO adds a critical capability to AI robotics: the ability to interpret physical interactions directly at the edge. The demonstrator illustrates how tactile data can be used to improve handling accuracy, support adaptive robot behavior, and lay the foundation for self-learning robotic systems.
Flexible sensor systems for intelligent interaction with the physical world
FLEXOO develops and manufactures ultrathin, flexible sensor systems that integrate seamlessly into large surfaces and complex physical structures. The sensors enable high resolution, wide area measurement of physical states, forming the basis for data-driven intelligence in industrial applications such as battery systems, industrial asset monitoring, and the automotive sector.
In the Hannover Messe setup, FLEXOO’s sensors are applied to standard SCHUNK robotic grippers. Two robots are each equipped with multimodal sensors on frontal and angled gripping surfaces. The sensor data is processed directly at the edge, making physical interactions measurable in real time.
From tactile data to adaptive robot behavior
Within the showcased scenario, FLEXOO’s sensor data is used to identify incorrect or unstable gripping events. These measurements provide the necessary input to detect handling errors and supply corrective data for downstream AI models.
During the runtime of Hannover Messe, the robots perform continuous live data collection (“data farming”) while operating in a production environment setting. This data serves as the foundation for training and refining AI models that enable robots to better understand and classify physical interactions with their surroundings.
Physical AI as an artificial nervous system
FLEXOO’s contribution addresses one of the fundamental challenges in AI robotics: the missing sense of touch. While vision and motion control are well established, tactile perception remains a limiting factor for autonomous and humanoid robots.
By tightly coupling surface-integrated sensor technology with embedded intelligence and system architectures, the approach aims to create artificial sensitivity as a functional analogue to a nervous system. This enables robots to correctly attribute physical contact, improve their interaction safety, and expand their self-learning capabilities over time.
Embedded in a Smart Factory production scenario
The demonstrator is embedded in the SmartFactory-KL model factory, where FLEXOO’s sensor-equipped robots are integrated into the production island “PHUKET 2.0.” The scenario simulates industrial processes such as gripping, inserting, soldering, and welding within a connected manufacturing environment.
The SmartFactory-KL exhibition area is located in Hall 13, C35 at Hannover Messe and provides the industrial context in which FLEXOO’s sensing technology demonstrates its relevance for AI robotics and cyber-physical production systems.
Ultrathin, flexible FLEXOO sensors integrated into an industrial robotic gripper enable real-time tactile data capture for adaptive AI-driven production at Hannover Messe.