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About

Kieran Morton is pioneering the next generation of soft, tactile sensing for robotics and human-machine interaction. His research centers on developing capacitive sensor "skins" that can mimic the rich sensory capabilities of human touch. Morton’s major contribution is the design of soft, flexible sensors that go beyond simple pressure detection to discriminate between shear and normal forces—a critical capability for safe, nuanced physical interactions between humans and machines. His most cited work, "Touch, press and stroke: a soft capacitive sensor skin" (2023, 28 citations), introduces a novel patterned elastomer with fixed and sliding pillars to achieve this multi-axis force sensing. He has further advanced the field by addressing the practical challenge of sensor performance on curved surfaces, such as robotic forearms and fingers, and by exploring how these sensors can capture the complex interplay of forces that constitute affective, or emotional, touch. With over 57 total citations, Morton’s work is foundational for applications in soft robotics, prosthetics, and human-robot collaboration, providing the sensory richness needed for machines to interact with the world as deftly and safely as we do.