Use of sensor technology to explore the science of touch.

: Two, world-renown researchers in the science of touch (Klatzky and Lederman) have shown that there are a set of reproducible and subconscious maneuvers that humans use to explore objects. Force measuring sensors may be used to electronically identify and quantify these maneuvers. Two sensored silicone breast models were configured to represent two different clinical presentations. One-hundred clinicians attending a local breast cancer meeting performed clinical breast examinations on the models, and their performance was captured using sensor-based data acquisition technology. We have found that Klatzy and Lederman's previously defined touch maneuvers are used during the clinical breast examination and can be identified and quantified for the first time using sensor technology.