🔦Portfolio Spotlight: Contactile
How one UNSW 10x Alum is Giving Robotics a Human Touch 🦾
When you think of robots, what do you think? A big robotic arm? Clunky machinery? Do you think of the age-old myth that one day robots will be taking our jobs? Contactile is here to change your mind – and the world.
Dr Heba Khamis, CEO and Co-Founder of Contactile, is creating a world where robots work more like humans, so humans don’t have to work like robots. Through Dr Khamis’ and her cofounder’s revolutionary work, robotic grippers are on the verge of a groundbreaking transformation, infused with the intelligence and ability to emulate human dexterity and touch.
Contactile has created robotic sensors that can intuitively apply grip force to objects of any weight, size, or friction—without the need for additional programming. These sensors, fashioned as soft, silicone pads, resemble the touch of human fingertips.
Dr Khamis is an engineer, researcher and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the field of robotics and bio inspired tactile sensors. She holds a PhD in Engineering, a Bachelor Degree in Software Engineering, a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Science. And, to top it all off, she is an alumni of our 10x Accelerator Program and New Wave US Ready Programs.
“[People say] ‘Aren’t robots taking our jobs? It's going to all be bad, doom and gloom’,” Dr Khamis said, acknowledging the age-old myth, “But the reality is that we live in a population the world admits that we can't sustain, right. So as economies grow and populations grow, they tend to age, [and] we need more resources, yet there are less people working to produce those things. So the reality is, we actually need robots to help us do our work.”
“And with every technology revolution that we've had […] it's actually job creation, that is the result. The jobs change, the nature of jobs change, the nature of work changes, but every industrial revolution is actually a job creation. And the jobs are more human.”
Dr Khamis started focussing on bio-inspired tactile sensors in 2014, and in 2020 she chose our 10x Accelerator Program to launch Contactile. Since then, the company has grown, the technology is advancing, and Dr Khamis is optimistic about the future. For others trailing the same path, she had some sage advice.
"You never really know what you're doing, because nobody's ever done it before. Even if you've done a startup before, this stuff is different to what you've done before. Even if you're talking to somebody in the same industry, there's enough nuance in the different businesses, you can't just take what they say, and run with it,” Dr Khamis said.
“Even though you may not know what you're doing, do trust your gut a little bit. Because, you know, that little nagging feeling in your stomach, sometimes it is telling you the right thing. So, it's kind of like this balancing act of being open to people, you know, either constructive criticism or advice, but at the same time trusting your gut.”
In a world often dominated by images of clunky robotic machinery, Contactile is shattering those stereotypes and ushering in a new era – one where humans and robots collaborate harmoniously, embracing the power of intuition and innovation.