Contactile marks first week of MassRobotics residency

BOSTON/SYDNEY, 6 October 2026 - Sydney-based Contactile has commenced its month-long residency at MassRobotics in Boston, the prize for winning Propel-AIR 2026, ARM Hub's AI and robotics sprint.

CEO and co-founder Dr Heba Khamis has set up a live demonstration of Contactile's tactile sensors and gripper inside MassRobotics, where visitors can try the technology for themselves. Her first weeks have included investor pitches, a deep tech panel in Kendall Square beside MIT and weekly sessions with MassRobotics Executive Director Tom Ryden and Director of Growth Marita McGinn.

"When you start to see different industries, different applications, you start to see, 'Oh, that's interesting, the way they did that. 
I wonder if we could do something similar to solve this problem,'" Khamis said of working alongside Boston's robotics community.

Contactile gives robots a sense of touch: the literal interface between the digital world of AI and automation, and the physical world. Connecting the two is far from simple, and Khamis gives textiles as a clear example of the challenges ahead. "Textiles are among the hardest materials for robots to handle, because they follow no fixed rules and cannot be simulated," said Khamis. "To distinguish whether you have one layer or two layers of silk between your fingers, we can do that really easily," she said. "Huge, huge challenge to do that with an autonomous system."

Khamis said automotive manufacturers have shown the most interest so far. "They've already been using robots for 60 years," she said. "The first robot was made for the automotive industry, so they're already familiar with it."

"I don't think the application is going to be particularly sexy or exciting," Khamis said of a recent automotive inquiry. "But there are thousands of these types of tasks littered all over automotive, general manufacturing. It's just everywhere."

Over the coming week, Khamis will visit automotive and robotics companies around Boston, attend Women in Robotics Day and meet further investors.

ENDS

About Contactile

Contactile is a UNSW Sydney spinout founded in 2019 by Dr Heba Khamis, Benjamin Xia and Associate Professor Stephen Redmond. Its patented PapillArray technology gives robot grippers real-time grip force control, so they can handle fragile and irregular objects without crushing or dropping them.

About ARM Hub

The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub is one of Australia's four government-backed AI Adopt Centres. Based in Brisbane, ARM Hub partners with manufacturers, SMEs, researchers and technology companies to drive innovation and productivity through advanced automation and AI solutions.
 

About MassRobotics

MassRobotics is a nonprofit organisation fostering robotics innovation and entrepreneurship. Located in Boston's Innovation District, MassRobotics has supported more than 200 startups, which have collectively raised more than US$2 billion in venture funding since 2017.

Media Contact

Mike Woodcock
Communications Director, ARM Hub
E: Mike.Woodcock@ARMHub.com.au
P: +61 411 969 248