e-skin

New electronic skin could give robots human-like touch
A new type of electronic skin whose sense of touch rivals that of humans could allow robots to identify an object by the way it feels.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0914/New-electronic-skin-could-give-robots-human-like-touch

When covered with the electronic skin, or "e-skin" as the researchers call it, robots would be able to touch and move objects with the appropriate force. For example, the e-skin would allow the robot to sense the difference between an egg and a frying pan and adjust the force of its grip accordingly.

So far the researchers have made a prototype device and shown that the material can detect a wide range of pressures – 0 to 15 kilopascals, which accounts for typical daily activities.