As technology continues to change and evolve, reinvention and creation become the need of the hour. At this moment with changing technological demographics, every leader is keen to set ablaze by founding their brainchild and marking its identity.
One such disruptive leader unlocking the powers of technology and swiftly integrating it into Tactile Sensors is Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin. He is the President and CTO of Sensobright which is mainly focused on tactile sensors and hi-tech mechatronic systems. His studies are mainly focused on robotics, sensors, image processing and motion control.
His unwavering passion, pathbreaking journey, and transformative leadership style make him an icon of his craft. Prof. Dr. Buyuksahin has left no stone unturned to mark his presence in his respective industry by publishing papers, writing a book, being a keynote speaker at global events, and more.
For his unconventional work and resolute spirit, he has received numerous awards and testimonials. With showing no signs of stopping, Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin continues to lead his journey.
The Foundation of Sensobright
Sensobright was founded in 2018 by Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin and KOC Holding (a Global Fortune500 company). Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, it is a pioneering tactile sensing technology company.
With an extensive background in mechanical engineering, robotics, and image processing, Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin recognized a substantial lack of advanced tactile sensing capabilities for robots. To bridge this gap, he started to envision a future where robots could interact with the world around them through touch, much like humans can. Ultimately, this vision became a driving force behind founding his brainchild- Sensobright.
In 2018, Sensobright came into existence with the goal of pioneering cutting-edge touch sensor technologies with sensitivity and resolution beyond human touch-sensing capabilities. Whether it was obtaining over 145 granted patents, securing funding, assembling a dedicated team of visionaries, building initial prototypes, scaling manufacturing, or securing the first commercial relationships, Sensobright experienced its share of growing pains.
A revolutionary and highly-driven company, Sensobright has the world’s first and unparalleled tactile sensing technology and products that surpass the abilities of human touch sensing. The company’s game-changing technologies have made a significant impact across expansive market segments, including major lucrative industries.
Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin believes overcoming these challenges has not only been a testament to its relentless pursuit of excellence but made the company stronger and propelled Sensobright to its current standing as a trailblazer in cutting-edge tactile sensor technologies.
A Leadership Philosophy Second to None
Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin’s leadership philosophy revolves around cultivating a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence. As an accomplished innovator and creator in various fields, he holds high expectations for creativity and innovative problem-solving within his team.
Sensobright is a revolutionary technology company and Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin acknowledges the challenges that come with cutting-edge technologies and encourages persistence and the exploration of diverse approaches to overcome these obstacles.
As a leader and founder, Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin recognizes Adaptability and a Strong Commitment to Success as the most valuable skills of his team members.
He further adds, “Patience and compassion are essential supporting qualities for effective leadership, allowing me to mentor individuals to reach their full potential. At Sensobright, this philosophy is not only embraced but also permeates the organization, fostering an environment where creativity thrives, and collaboration prevails.”
About Sensobright
Sensobright specializes in providing cutting-edge tactile sensor solutions for a wide range of automated and AI-driven products and peripherals. Its sensors are renowned for their exceptional density and sensitivity, allowing the company to adapt them to various form factors, shapes, and size constraints. This enables the company to serve extensive market segments including Aviation, Automotive, Robotics, Healthcare/MedTech, and Consumer Electronics/Home Automation.
One of Sensobright’s standout products includes tactile fingertip sensors, which find applications in advanced robot grippers for COBOTs and humanoid robots. These sensors drastically increase the number of receptors per square centimetre on the human fingertip by a factor of 2, delivering remarkable sensitivity and resolution. It can capture touch data across all sensory inputs (including temperature, force, pressure, shear, shape, friction, and even pain), much like the human fingertip.
As Sensobright’s tactile sensors can also sense via proximity without physical contact, it has developed safety sensing products that enable robots and COBOTs to enhance their environmental awareness and avoid collisions with humans and objects. This technology provides a safer alternative to air pressure sensors and eliminates the need for area scanners prone to blind spots. Beyond robotics, the company’s safety/surrounding sensing technology finds use in 3D mapping for autonomous vehicles, offering a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to LIDAR.
Sensobright leveraged the remarkable density and sensitivity of its sensors in MedTech, where it pioneered a laparoscopic surgery system capable of detecting cancerous tissues by assessing tissue stiffness, pattern, and texture during minimally invasive procedures. This technology can also collect precise temperature measurements, facilitating early detection of internal bleeding to prevent the spread and metastasis of cancers during surgical procedures.
When coupled with Sensobright’s AI software, this technology gains increasing intelligence with each procedure, holding the potential to save tens of thousands of lives and billions in healthcare expenditures annually.
As an extension of the company’s tactile sensing technologies, Sensobright has also patented and developed a groundbreaking smart surface technology. This innovation can transform pliable surfaces like leather, textiles, and plastics into intelligent touch surfaces with shape, gesture, and depth recognition.
This technology is immune to fluids and magnetic interferences and remains functional even when users wear thick and wet gloves, such as surgical gloves covered in bodily fluids, giving us a broad range of applications and products.
A Beacon to Young Minds
In addition to ongoing training and development opportunities, seasoned team members and Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin actively engage in mentorship roles to provide guidance, share knowledge, and help others navigate their career paths.
These mentorship relationships offer a platform for the transfer of expertise and a deeper understanding of Sensobright’s values and goals. It’s a two-way street, as mentees bring fresh perspectives and ideas, fueling an added level of innovation within the organization. Also, it is a great measure of recognizing young talents and igniting their minds.
As a professional musician for decades, he also shows the young minds that they can be successful in all musical, scientific and executive careers at the same time. He tells how actually music feeds the scientific and executive career: “As being an instrument player, I trained my mind to listen to the others, think very fast, react very fast but not break the rhythm of the others while doing this.
As a musical composer, I trained myself to be innovative and bring things together in a harmony. As being a musical arranger, I trained my brain for multitasking and used to handle over 10 tasks at the same time. This also gave me the ability to think all the aspects at the same time while searching for a solution or doing an invention.”
The Focal Point of Growth
Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin states that there have been many memorable moments that triggered the growth of Sensobright as a market leader. However, one pivotal moment that triggered significant growth was the successful development and implementation of its patented tactile fingertip sensor. This achievement marked a watershed moment in its journey, revolutionizing how robots interact with their environment and perform tasks with unprecedented precision and adaptability.
Sensobright’s tactile fingertip sensor can collect multidimensional data, detecting forces as small as 0.1 grams, and generating three-dimensional maps of touched objects through millions of tactile receptors. This technology not only surpassed human touch capabilities but also had a profound impact across multiple industries, from manufacturing to healthcare and consumer electronics and propelled the company to the forefront of the tactile sensing industry, attracting significant interest, partnerships, and investments.
The Art of Balancing: Risks and Growth
As a tech-based company, innovation is a key parameter for growth and it keeps Sensobright at the forefront of its industry. However, the company operates within well-defined parameters to mitigate risks and maintain stability. It invests substantially in R&D and cultivates a culture of creative problem-solving, encouraging its team to explore new avenues.
Simultaneously, Sensobright maintains a keen focus on the financial well-being of the company, ensuring that its innovation efforts align with market demand and revenue generation. This balanced approach allows the company to pioneer cutting-edge technologies while safeguarding its stability and profitability, reinforcing Sensobright’s position as an industry leader.
Technology at the Centre for Customer Satisfaction
Sensobright’s technology has empowered its customers with a transformative and seamless experience across various industries. In robotics, its tactile sensors enhance the dexterity and precision of robotic systems, making them more adaptable to real-world interactions.
In MedTech, its laparoscopic surgery system aids surgeons in early cancer detection and prevents complications, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Moreover, its smart surface technology has extended intelligent touch capabilities to everyday objects, enhancing user interactions in consumer electronics and home automation. These advancements underscore the company’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that redefine the user experience.
Driving a Notch-Up
Sensobright relies on a collaborative approach, where consensus among its highly skilled technical team often serves as a guiding principle. The company places a significant value on the power of rigorous testing and validation. The team adopts a “cooperative” mindset, thoroughly examining ideas and probing for potential failure modes. With the advantage of extensive in-house manufacturing capabilities, Sensobright’s engineers can swiftly develop prototypes and execute comprehensive test cases, allowing them to make informed decisions that propel the company a step further in enhancing its products and services.
This commitment to technical excellence and a data-driven approach ensures that each step forward aligns with the company’s mission to revolutionize touch-sensing technologies.
Sensobright’s Success Mantra
Sensobright’s long-standing success is rooted in its unwavering commitment to innovation, adaptability across diverse industries, a collaborative and creative culture, and a customer-centric approach. These pillars have allowed the company to consistently lead the way in tactile sensing technology, delivering practical and transformative solutions to its clients.
Breaking the Barriers
Sensobright has shattered conventional norms by introducing tactile sensing technologies that transcend the boundaries of human touch. Its sensors, equipped with exceptional sensitivity and resolution, have redefined how robots interact with their surroundings, disrupting industries like healthcare, robotics, and automotive manufacturing. This innovation makes the company extraordinary, fueling a transformation where precision, adaptability, and efficiency are the new norm. Its commitment to reimagining automation across diverse sectors is what truly sets the company apart, reshaping the way industries work and opening doors to boundless possibilities.
Innovation is a Cornerstone for Sensobright
At Sensobright, innovation is in its DNA. The company maintains its competitive edge through a two-fold strategy. First, it invests significantly in research and development, continuously pushing the boundaries of tactile sensing technologies. Second, it ensures that their products evolve in lockstep with changing market dynamics and customer requirements. By staying committed to both groundbreaking research and an agile approach, the company remains at the forefront of its industry, delivering solutions that anticipate and meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers.
A Win-Win Situation
Sensobright’s recent collaboration with a humanoid robot company to integrate its tactile fingertip sensors into their robotic hands has been a significant success. The company’s unique ability to fit its sensors into a space the size of an actual human fingertip without compromising sensitivity or resolution played a pivotal role in this achievement. This adaptability and its capacity to seamlessly integrate its technology into various form factors continue to set the company apart in the industry.
Risk-taking and Decision-making: Two Sides of the Coin
Prof. Dr. Utku Buyuksahin states that in the tactile sensors technology industry, risk-taking and decision-making are approached with a balanced strategy. It recognizes that innovation requires a degree of calculated risk. However, the company implements rigorous risk assessment processes to evaluate potential pitfalls comprehensively.
He adds, “Our experienced team collaboratively assesses the risks involved, explores contingency plans, and closely monitors project progress. This approach allows us to strike a delicate balance between innovation and risk mitigation, ensuring that our ventures align with our long-term goals while safeguarding our stability and reputation in the market.”
