Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Mike Lambeta is a leading researcher at the intersection of robotics, tactile sensing, and simulation. His work centers on developing high-resolution, vision-based tactile sensors and the software tools needed to integrate touch into robotic manipulation. Lambeta is best known for creating **TACTO**, an open-source simulator for vision-based tactile sensors that has garnered over 131 citations and become a standard tool for prototyping and benchmarking tactile-driven control algorithms. He also spearheaded the development of **NeuralFeels**, a visuotactile perception framework that uses neural fields to estimate an object’s pose and shape during in-hand manipulation—a breakthrough for achieving human-level dexterity. To address the challenge of packaging high-resolution sensors into human-sized fingers, Lambeta pioneered the use of **fiber optic bundles** to miniaturize these sensors without sacrificing spatial resolution. His recent work on a multimodal artificial fingertip further advances the digitization of touch, enabling robots to perceive object properties and contact interactions with unprecedented fidelity. With over 220 citations across his key publications, Lambeta is a driving force in making tactile sensing practical, scalable, and impactful for both research and real-world robotics.