ForceN CEO to Deliver Crash Course in Force & Torque Sensing for Humanoids at RoboBusiness 2026

The sensing gap in humanoid robotics

As humanoids take on more industrial roles, the ability to handle objects — from heavy parts to delicate components — depends on a sense of touch. That's where force torque sensors come in.

"Force torque sensors give robots a sense of touch, and without them, robots are blind to how much pressure they're applying while working."

ForceN is one of the companies addressing that gap. The company provides force torque sensors for robotic wrists and other joints, and has supplied sensing systems to surgical, logistics, humanoid, and other robots.

A session built on hard-won lessons

At RoboBusiness 2026, Robert Brooks, founder and CEO of ForceN, will present "A Crash Course in Force & Torque Sensing for Humanoids." The event runs Oct. 20 and 21 in Santa Clara, Calif., and Brooks will speak at 2:15 p.m. PT on the first day.

"Attendees will learn about the many ways they can use force and torque sensors in humanoids and how to avoid breaking them while doing it."

That last part matters. Sensors in humanoid platforms face demanding conditions, and durability is a real engineering challenge — not an afterthought.

"Brooks will summarize learnings from working with many of world's top humanoid companies over the past three years."

The session will also cover best practices drawn from force/torque sensor developments in surgical, logistics, and field robotics — with the goal of accelerating the production and field readiness of humanoids.

A decade in force sensing

Brooks has spent a decade developing force sensing at ForceN. The company's designs target complex and unstructured applications across surgical, logistics, space, humanoid, nuclear, and food/agricultural robotics.

ForceN grew out of Brooks' Ph.D. work at the University of Toronto and SickKids Hospital, focused on next-generation sensing and actuation for surgical robots.

The venue

RoboBusiness 2026 is the leading event for commercial robotics developers. Attendees will gain insights from experts in robotics and AI on cutting-edge research, industry trends, and innovative applications in sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and logistics. The event also features networking opportunities for attendees to connect with industry experts.

For engineers working on humanoid platforms, the session offers a rare chance to hear directly from a sensing specialist who has worked with leading humanoid developers — and to learn how to integrate force sensing without breaking the hardware.