Ask HN: Will robots/AI ever be able to figure out touch?

Human skin is pretty incredible.

Guide the tip over your finger over a variety of different surfaces. Your shirt, your desk, your keyboard, your hair.

Just a square centimeter of skin can immediately determine (roughly) what it is in contact with by detecting its texture, moisture level, temperature, etc. And this impressive material surrounds nearly 100% of your body.

Computer vision is making some impressive strides, but is anyone even trying to work on computer touch? Is there any hope that we could come close to matching the impressive capabilities of skin?