Hardware

Proximity Sensor

A proximity sensor detects the presence or distance of nearby objects without contact, using inductive, capacitive, ultrasonic, infrared, or time-of-flight principles. Inductive sensors detect metal at short range and dominate industrial end-of-travel detection, while optical and capacitive variants extend to nonmetallic targets. On robots they serve limit sensing, gripper part-presence checks, collision-avoidance skins, and pre-touch sensing just before grasp contact.

Why it matters for physical AI

Cheap, fast, non-contact presence sensing fills the gap between vision and touch, and proximity-sensing robot skins are a practical route to safe high-speed operation near people.