Scientists have discovered that humans may possess a previously unknown sense, a kind of “remote touch” that allows us to detect objects hidden beneath surfaces or buried in sand, without ever physically touching them. The finding, which challenges long-held assumptions about the limits of human perception , suggests that our sense of touch is far more powerful and complex than we realise.
The discovery of a hidden human ability
The breakthrough comes from researchers at Queen Mary University of London , who tested whether humans could detect solid objects buried in granular materials such as sand. In a series of experiments presented at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL), volunteers were asked to locate hidden objects using only their fingertips.
Amazingly, they succeeded nearly three-quarters of the time, detecting items buried up to 6.9 centimetres (2.7 inches) below the surface, a feat previously thought to be physically impossible. “Human results confirm detection with 70.7 percent precision,” the researchers wrote, noting that the median distance was still a remarkable 2.7 centimetres (1.06 inches).
This newfound ability, known as “remote touch,” allows people to perceive subtle vibrations and pressure shifts in loose materials, much like how certain shorebirds, such as plovers, locate prey hidden beneath sand.
Touching without contact
So how is this even possible? The answer lies in the physics of granular materials, substances like sand, soil, or flour, where tiny particles transfer vibrations and displacements when something solid is buried within them. Humans, it turns out, can pick up on these faint cues through their fingertips.
The team used mathematical modelling to estimate how far such vibrations could travel and found the theoretical limit to be just one millimetre. Yet the participants detected objects several centimetres away, suggesting that the brain may be amplifying or interpreting these signals in ways scientists don’t yet fully understand.
“This discovery changes our conception of the perceptual world,” said Dr. Elisabetta Versace, the study’s lead author and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. “It expands what we consider to be our sensory field.”
Robots that can “feel” like humans
The research did not stop with people. The team also built a robotic tactile sensor trained through a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) AI model to mimic human touch. Remarkably, the robot replicated part of the effect, detecting buried objects with 40 percent accuracy at distances up to 7.1 centimetres (2.8 inches).
“The human experiments guided the robot’s learning approach, and the robot’s performance gave us new insight into how humans detect such stimuli,” explained Dr. Lorenzo Jamone, Associate Professor in Robotics and AI at University College London.
This synergy between psychology, robotics, and artificial intelligence opens the door to developing machines that can “feel” in ways more closely aligned with human sensation.
From archaeology to Mars exploration
The implications of remote touch extend far beyond neuroscience. Engineers believe that understanding this sense could revolutionise technologies in archaeology, robotics, and planetary exploration.
“Imagine robots that can locate artefacts without digging or sense life beneath Martian soil,” said Zhengqi Chen, a PhD student at Queen Mary’s Advanced Robotics Lab. “These insights could help design tools and assistive technologies that extend human tactile perception.”
Such sensory systems could make exploration safer and more efficient, especially in environments where vision or direct contact is not possible, from underwater archaeology to hazardous material handling.
A new dimension of human perception
The discovery of a potential seventh sense adds a new dimension to how we understand human perception. It blurs the line between touch and intuition, between physical contact and the brain’s remarkable ability to interpret its surroundings.
As Dr. Versace puts it, this research is only the beginning: “Our study shows that human perception is still full of surprises. The senses we take for granted may hold capabilities we’ve barely begun to explore.”
In other words, the next time you run your fingers through sand, you might just be using a sense you never knew you had.
The discovery of a hidden human ability
The breakthrough comes from researchers at Queen Mary University of London , who tested whether humans could detect solid objects buried in granular materials such as sand. In a series of experiments presented at the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL), volunteers were asked to locate hidden objects using only their fingertips.
Amazingly, they succeeded nearly three-quarters of the time, detecting items buried up to 6.9 centimetres (2.7 inches) below the surface, a feat previously thought to be physically impossible. “Human results confirm detection with 70.7 percent precision,” the researchers wrote, noting that the median distance was still a remarkable 2.7 centimetres (1.06 inches).
This newfound ability, known as “remote touch,” allows people to perceive subtle vibrations and pressure shifts in loose materials, much like how certain shorebirds, such as plovers, locate prey hidden beneath sand.
Touching without contact
So how is this even possible? The answer lies in the physics of granular materials, substances like sand, soil, or flour, where tiny particles transfer vibrations and displacements when something solid is buried within them. Humans, it turns out, can pick up on these faint cues through their fingertips.
The team used mathematical modelling to estimate how far such vibrations could travel and found the theoretical limit to be just one millimetre. Yet the participants detected objects several centimetres away, suggesting that the brain may be amplifying or interpreting these signals in ways scientists don’t yet fully understand.
“This discovery changes our conception of the perceptual world,” said Dr. Elisabetta Versace, the study’s lead author and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen Mary University of London. “It expands what we consider to be our sensory field.”
Robots that can “feel” like humans
The research did not stop with people. The team also built a robotic tactile sensor trained through a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) AI model to mimic human touch. Remarkably, the robot replicated part of the effect, detecting buried objects with 40 percent accuracy at distances up to 7.1 centimetres (2.8 inches).
“The human experiments guided the robot’s learning approach, and the robot’s performance gave us new insight into how humans detect such stimuli,” explained Dr. Lorenzo Jamone, Associate Professor in Robotics and AI at University College London.
This synergy between psychology, robotics, and artificial intelligence opens the door to developing machines that can “feel” in ways more closely aligned with human sensation.
From archaeology to Mars exploration
The implications of remote touch extend far beyond neuroscience. Engineers believe that understanding this sense could revolutionise technologies in archaeology, robotics, and planetary exploration.
“Imagine robots that can locate artefacts without digging or sense life beneath Martian soil,” said Zhengqi Chen, a PhD student at Queen Mary’s Advanced Robotics Lab. “These insights could help design tools and assistive technologies that extend human tactile perception.”
Such sensory systems could make exploration safer and more efficient, especially in environments where vision or direct contact is not possible, from underwater archaeology to hazardous material handling.
A new dimension of human perception
The discovery of a potential seventh sense adds a new dimension to how we understand human perception. It blurs the line between touch and intuition, between physical contact and the brain’s remarkable ability to interpret its surroundings.
As Dr. Versace puts it, this research is only the beginning: “Our study shows that human perception is still full of surprises. The senses we take for granted may hold capabilities we’ve barely begun to explore.”
In other words, the next time you run your fingers through sand, you might just be using a sense you never knew you had.
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