The rapid rise of artificial intelligence and robotics has focused attention on software, large language models, and increasingly powerful processors.
But for robots to operate effectively in the physical world, they also need something much more fundamental: the ability to sense and understand their environment.
That challenge is creating growing interest in advanced sensing technologies capable of providing machines with far richer information about the world around them.
Among the companies working in this area is Digid, a Germany-based technology developer specializing in nanoscale sensors for force, temperature, and other measurements.
The company says its sensors are small enough to be integrated directly onto customer products and components, enabling measurements in locations where conventional sensors cannot fit.
Digid has industrialized its nanosensor technology and produced more than one million sensors to date, with applications spanning robotics, medical devices, wearables, industrial systems, and AI infrastructure.
Founded in 2019, Digid initially focused on diagnostics and BioMEMS technologies before expanding into broader industrial and robotics applications. More recently, the company attracted attention at CES, where it showcased its nanoscale sensing technology and its potential role in next-generation robotics and intelligent systems.
In this interview, Nils Könne, head of product, and Christian Kreil, head of business development, discuss how nanosensors could help address one of robotics’ most persistent challenges: tactile sensing.
They explain how high-density sensor arrays could enable robotic skin and more capable robotic hands, why local processing will become increasingly important as sensor counts rise, and how similar technologies could also improve medical devices, wearable products, and AI data center infrastructure.
For Robotics & Automation News readers, the discussion provides an interesting glimpse into a technology that sits several layers beneath the robot itself, but which may ultimately play an important role in the development of more capable autonomous machines and embodied AI systems.
Interview with Nils Könne and Christian Kreil
Robotics & Automation News: Could you introduce yourselves and explain what Digid does?
Nils Könne: I joined Digid in 2020 and now serve as head of product. My role involves developing our nanosensor technology and working with customers to understand how it can solve real-world challenges.
Christian Kreil: I lead business development. Digid was founded in 2019 and initially focused on BioMEMS applications. Today we work with customers across robotics, wearables, human-machine interfaces, industrial applications, medical devices, and AI infrastructure.
R&AN: What makes Digid’s nanosensors different from conventional sensors?
NK: The biggest difference is size. We often say the second-smallest sensor in the world is four orders of magnitude larger than ours.
Because our sensors are so small, we can place complete sensing structures directly onto a customer’s device and create dense arrays that measure force, strain, and temperature simultaneously.
In practical terms, this means we can collect information that was previously difficult or impossible to obtain. We can also integrate sensors into products without requiring major design changes because the sensors add only a few micrometers to the surface.
For many customers, the question is no longer whether our sensors are smaller, but whether the measurement was possible at all before our technology became available.
R&AN: Humanoid robotics is attracting enormous investment. How can nanosensors contribute?
NK: Tactile sensing remains one of the major challenges in robotics.
Our sensors can be used to create robotic skin and highly sensitive fingertips with sensor densities far beyond those found in human skin. The goal is not necessarily to match every biological function, but to provide robots with much richer information about the objects and environments they interact with.
Today’s robots rely heavily on vision. But when a robot picks up an object, it also needs to know how much force it is applying, whether the object is slipping, and how conditions are changing during the interaction.
The better a robot can perceive the physical world, the more capable it becomes.
R&AN: If robots are covered in thousands of sensors, won’t that create a data problem?
NK: Absolutely.
The solution is not to send every sensor reading to the cloud. Data needs to be processed locally so that only relevant information reaches higher-level systems.
For example, when a robot picks up a cup, the important question is whether the grip is secure, not the raw output from every sensor. We believe local preprocessing will be critical as tactile sensing becomes more sophisticated.
R&AN: What kinds of commercial applications are generating the most interest?
CK: We work with everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies.
The strongest interest today comes from robotics, wearables, medical devices, industrial sensing, and human-machine interfaces. A common theme is that customers need sensing capabilities in places where traditional sensors are too large or too expensive to deploy.
NK: Since exhibiting at CES, we’ve seen growing interest from large companies looking for force and temperature measurements in locations where existing technologies simply do not fit.
R&AN: How has the company evolved since it was founded?
NK: We began with a strong focus on diagnostics and BioMEMS technology.
Over the past two years we have expanded into industrial sensing and robotics after realizing there was significant demand for extremely small force and temperature sensors.
Today we have around 30 employees, are generating revenue, and are working toward becoming fully self-sustaining.
One project allowed us to reduce a customer’s pressure-sensing system from approximately 30 components down to six, reducing complexity, manufacturing effort, and cost.
R&AN: You also mentioned AI infrastructure. How does that fit into the picture?
CK: AI data centers generate enormous amounts of heat, and managing that heat efficiently is becoming increasingly important.
Our sensors can be integrated very close to heat-generating components, providing highly localized temperature measurements and allowing operators to understand thermal behavior in much greater detail.
NK: Whether it’s robotics or AI infrastructure, the principle is the same: better sensing leads to better decisions.
R&AN: Looking ahead, what are the biggest opportunities for Digid?
CK: We believe we’re still at the beginning. Customers regularly approach us with applications we had never considered.
Demand for more accurate information from the physical world continues to grow across robotics, healthcare, industrial automation, wearables, and AI infrastructure.
NK: Our goal is to become the standard solution whenever customers need sensing capabilities at a scale that traditional technologies cannot achieve.
As products become smaller, smarter, and more connected, we believe demand for nanoscale sensing will continue to increase.
