This thesis presents a modular visuotactile framework for real-time, reactive manipulation of deformable objects. Using GelSight tactile sensing plus vision, it enables tactile-only cable sliding and plug insertion, cloth edge tracing, and robust towel and garment folding/hanging via learned grasp affordances, dense correspondence, and confidence-aware planning.

This research uses cavefish to reveal how evolution reshapes the brain. By comparing surface and cave-adapted forms, it shows that neural circuits lost to vision are repurposed for touch and smell. These findings demonstrate how evolution refines existing brain structures to meet environmental demands.

This thesis introduces Armando, a low-cost soft robotic gripper with proprioceptive sensing using a single flexible capacitive sensor and neural-network decoding. Achieving 99% accuracy, Armando enables precise finger-position estimation for applications in prosthetics, assistive care, and disaster response, advancing accessible tactile robotics inspired by human touch.