For the first time, a new seventh sense has been studied in humans. It is called “remote touch,” which is the ability to detect objects buried under granular materials without physically touching them.
Certain birds along the seashore, such as sandpipers and plovers, probe the sand with their beaks, using subtle vibration and pressure cues to find prey hidden beneath the sand.
Research has demonstrated that a similar sense exists in humans, too. In a recent study, participants were instructed to move their fingers through sand to detect a hidden cube before physically touching it. They were able to find the objects nearly three out of four times.
The results were comparable to the skills of shorebirds, even though humans obviously do not have beaks, which are what allow shorebirds to possess this sense.
It just goes to show that human hands are much more sensitive than previously thought. They can detect the presence of buried objects by picking up on tiny shifts in the sand surrounding them.
“Drawing from granular media particle interaction theory, we hypothesize tactile cues extend up to seven centimeters [2.76 inches],” wrote the researchers of the study.
When comparing humans’ and robots’ performances of remote touch in a second experiment, humans scored a 70.7% precision rate.
A robot trained using the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm yielded only 40% accuracy. On average, the robot could sense objects from slightly farther distances, but it often had false positives.
The findings confirm that humans can detect objects buried in sand before making actual contact with them. Previously, the tactile skill had not been documented in humans.
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Now, it can be added alongside the six senses—sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing, and proprioception, which is the awareness of where your body parts are in space.
We use all these senses to engage with the world around us.
Overall, the research has expanded scientific understanding of human touch. It is an excellent example of what can happen when human psychology, artificial intelligence, and robotics come together to analyze data and achieve results.
It also has wider implications for future technology and changes our perception of what senses humans are capable of.
“The discovery opens possibilities for designing tools and assistive technologies that extend human tactile perception. These insights could inform the development of advanced robots capable of delicate operations, for example, locating archaeological artifacts without damage, or exploring sandy or granular terrains such as Martian soil or ocean floors,” said Zhengqi Chen, a PhD student of advanced robotics at Queen Mary University of London.
“More broadly, this research paves the way for touch-based systems that make hidden or hazardous exploration safer, smarter, and more effective.”
The study was published in the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL).
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
