Kaspar Althoefer is Director of the Centre for Advanced Robotics at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). His research focuses on soft robotics, tactile perception, intelligent manipulation, and machine learning techniques for sensor signal interpretation. His research advancements have significant applications in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, rehabilitation, assistive technologies, and human-robot interactions within a range of scenarios, including manufacturing. Before joining QMUL, he was a Professor at King's College London, where he also earned his PhD.

Palpation of human tissue during Minimally Invasive Surgery is hampered due to restricted access. In this extended abstract, we present a variable stiffness and dynamic force range sensor that has the potential to address this challenge. The sensor utilises light reflection to estimate sensor deformation, and from this, the force applied. Experimental testing at different pressures (0, 0.5 and 1 PSI) shows that stiffness and force range increases with pressure. The force calibration results when compared with measured forces produced an average RMSE of 0.016, 0.0715 and 0.1284 N respectively, for these pressures.