# Digitizing Human Touch and Feel w/ Youssef Benmokhtar

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2023-10-03
- Length: 23m
- Episode: 173
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-b7297c07-f18b-46a7-b96e-bc40361f66b8

## Summary

Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO of GelSight, explains how his company is digitizing the human sense of touch using imaging-based tactile sensors to solve quality inspection challenges in manufacturing. He details the technology's origin at MIT, its ability to measure micron-scale surface features and roughness, and its application in aerospace for characterizing scratches, dents, and radii on engine blades and airframes. Benmokhtar also discusses the concept of 'perceptual quality,' where AI analyzes tactile data to replace subjective human grading of textures, and outlines future applications in surgical robotics and haptic feedback systems.

## Chapters

- [0:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=35) Introduction and Guest Background
- [4:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=279) The Genesis of GelSight Technology
- [7:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=470) Hardware and Software Convergence
- [10:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=631) Aerospace Applications and Surface Roughness
- [13:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=835) Digitizing Perceptual Quality and Subjective Inspection
- [16:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=1011) Future Vision: Robotics and Haptics
- [20:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-10-03-digitizing-human-touch-and-feel-w-youssef-benmokhtar#t=1237) Material Agnosticism and Practical Advantages

## Topics

- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- GelSight (company)
- MIT (company)
- Magic Leap (company)
- Cognex (company)
- Hexagon (company)
- Omnivision Technologies (company)
- STMicroelectronics (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Spotify (company)
- Apple Music (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Bonus Episode: Giving robots the power of human touch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-09-21-bonus-episode-giving-robots-the-power-of-human-touch) (Robot Talk)
- [178. Talk to The Hand: Meet The Robots With a Human Touch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-06-11-178-talk-to-the-hand-meet-the-robots-with-a-human-touch) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Ep. 17: Today's Humanoid Robots Have Toddler Hands, Not Adult Ones.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-09-08-ep-17-todays-humanoid-robots-have-toddler-hands-not-adult-ones) (The Robo Success Podcast)
- [Insight-Driven Strategy with IoT | Eigen Innovations’ Scott Everett](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/iot-for-all-podcast/2021-11-30-insight-driven-strategy-with-iot-eigen-innovations-scott-everett) (IoT For All Podcast)
- [Episode 108: Giving robots the sense of touch - Anuradha Ranasinghe](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-02-07-episode-108-giving-robots-the-sense-of-touch-anuradha-ranasinghe) (Robot Talk)

## Citing this page

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